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•SEXTl-l)  BY  «    I  ^ 


PRESl 


A  HISTORY 


OF  THE 


ey  of  \f\r6\ 


By  Samuel  Kercheval. 


TKIRD  EDITION. 


REVISED  AND  EXTENDED  BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


WOODSTOCK,  VA  : 

W.  N.  GRABII^L,  Power  Press, 
1902. 


^^^^  Y\  ^  * 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1833,  in  the  Clerk's 
Office  of  the  Western  District  of  Virginia. 


3  Fred  E  Woodw|Hf#, 


INTRODUCTION. 


use  no  other  sort  of  boats.  In  fine,  the  conjectures  of  the  learned, 
respecting  the  vicinity  of  the  old  and  new  world,  are  now,  by  the 
discoveries  of  late  navigators,  lost  in  conviction  ;  and  in  the  place  of 
an  imaginary  hypothesis,  the  place  of  migration  is  almost  incon- 
trovertibly  pointed  out." 

SKETCH  OF  THK  FIRST  SKTTI.KMENT  OF  VIRGINIA. 

Having  given  the  foregoing  brief  sketch  of  the  probable  origin 
of  the  Indians  in  America,  the  author  will  now  turn  his  attention  to 
the  first  settlement  of  Virginia,  a  brief  history  of  which  he  considers 
will  not  be  unacceptable  to  the  general  reader,  and  as  a  preliminary 
introduction  to  his  main  subject,  i.  e.,  the  history  of  the  early  settle- 
ment of  the  Valley  of  Shenandoah  in  Virginia. 

On  the  loth  of  April,  1606,  James  I.,  King  of  England,  granted 
charters  to  two  separate  companies,  called  the  ' '  London  and  Plym- 
outh Companies,"  for  settling  colonies  in  Virginia.*  The  London 
Company  sent  Capt.  Christopher  Newport  to  Virginia,  December  20, 
1606,  with  a  colony  of  one  hundred  and  five  persons,  to  commence  a 
settlement  on  the  island  of  Roanoke,  now  in  North  Carolina.  By 
stress  of  weather,  however,  they  were  driven  north  of  their  place  of 
destination,  and  entered  the  Chesapeake  Bay.  Here,  up  a  River 
which  they  called  James  River,  on  a  beautiful  peninsular,  they  com- 
menced, in  May,  1607,  the  settlement  of  Jamestown.  This  was  the 
first  permanent  settlement  in  the  country. 

Several  subsequent  charters  were  granted  by  King  James  to  the 
company  for  the  better  ordering  and  government  of  the  colony,  for 
the  particulars  of  which  the  reader  is  referred  to  Hening's  Statutes 
at  Large.  And  in  the  year  16 19,  the  first  legislative  council  was 
convened  in  Jamestown,  then  called  "James  City."  This  council 
was  called  the  General  Assembly.  ' '  It  was  to  assist  the  Governor  in 
the  administration  of  justice,  to  advance  Christianity  among  Indians, 
to  erect  the  colony  in  obedience  to  his  majesty,  and  in  maintaining 
the  people  in  justice  and  christian  conversation,  and  strengthening 
them  against  enemies.  The  said  governor,  council,  and  two  bur- 
gesses out  of  every  town,  hundred  or  plantation,  to  be  chosen  by  the 
inhabitants  to  make  up  a  General  Assembly,  who  are  to  decide  all 
matters  by  the  greatest  number  of  voices  ;  but  the  governor  is  to 
have  a  negative  voice,  to  have  power  to  make  orders  and  acts  nec- 
essary, wherein  they  are  to  imitate  the  policy  of  the  form  of  gov- 
ernment, laws,  customs,  manners  of  trial,  and  other  administration 
of  justice  used  in  England,  as  the  company  are  required  by  their 
latters  patent.  No  law  to  continue  or  to  be  of  force  till  ratified 
by  a  quarter  court  to  be  held  in  England,  and  returned  under 
seal.  After  the  colony  is  well  framed  and  settled,  no  order  of  quar- 
ter court  in  England  shall  bind  until  ratified  by  the  General  Assem- 
bly."*— Dated  24th  July,  1621. 


*  Hening's  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  i.,  p.  113,  114. 


INTRODUCTION. 


INSTRUCTIONS.  TO  GOVERNOR  WYATT. 

' '  To  keep  up  religion  of  the  Cliurch  of  England  as  near  as  may 
be ;  to  be  obedient  to  the  king  and  to  do  justice  after  the  form  of 
the  laws  of  England  ;  and  not  to  injure  the  natives  ;  and  to  forget  old 
quarrels  now  buried  ;  ^ 

'*To  be  industrious,  and  suppress  drunkenness,  gaming,  and 
excess  in  clothes ;  not  to  permit  any  but  the  council  and  heads  of 
hundreds  to  wear  gold  in  their  clothes,  or  to  wear  silk  till  the}^  make 
it  themselves. 

Not  to  offend  an}^  foreign  princes  ;  to  punish  piracies  ;  to  build 
fortresses  and  block-houses  at  the  mouths  of  the  rivers  ; 

"To  use  means  to  convert  the  heathens,  viz.;  to  converse  with 
some  ;  each  town  to  teach  some  children  fit  for  the  college  intended 
to  be  built  ; 

"After  Sir  George  Yeardley  has  gathered  the  present  year's 
crop,  he  is  to  deliver  to  Sir  Francis  W3^att,  the  hundred  tenants  be- 
longing to  the  governor's  place  ;  Yeardly's  government  to  expire  the 
1 8th  November  next,  and  then  Wyatt  to  be  published  governor  ;  to 
swear  the  council : 

"  George  Sandis  appointed  treasurer,  and  he  is  to  put  in  execu- 
tion all  orders  of  court  about  staple  commodities  ;  to  whom  is  allotted 
fifteen  hundred  acres  and  fifty  tenants.  To  the  marshall.  Sir 
William  Newce,  to  the  same.  To  the  physician  five  hundred  acres 
and  twent}^  tenants  ;  and  the  same  to  the  secretary. 

"To  review  the  commissions  to  Sir  George  Yeardly,  governor, 
and  the  council,  dated  i8th  November,  1618,  for  dividing  the  colony 
into  cities,  boroughs,  &c.,  and  to  observe  all  former  instructions 
(a  copy  whereof  was  sent)  if  they  did  not  contradict  the  present  ; 
and  all  orders  of  court  (made  in  England)  ; 

"To  make  a  catalogue  of  the  people  in  ever}^  plantation,  and 
their  conditions  ;  of  deaths,  marriages  and  christenings. 

' '  To  take  care  of  dead  persons'  estates  for  the  right  owners  ;  to 
keep  a  list  of  all  cattle  and  cause  the  secretary  to  return  copies  of  the 
premises  once  a  year  ; 

* '  To  take  care  of  every  plantation  upon  the  death  of  the  chief  ; 
not  to  plant  above  one  hundred  pounds  of  tobacco  per  head  ;  f  to  sow 
great  quantities  of  corn  for  their  own  use,  and  to  support  the  multi- 
tudes to  be  sent  yearly  ;  to  enclose  lands  ;  to  keep  cows,  swine, 
poultry,  &c.,  and  particularly  kyne,  which  are  not  to  be  killed  yet  ; 

"Next  to  corn,  plant  mulberry  trees,  and  make  silk,  and  take 

*  It  appears  that  at  a  very  early  period  of  the  colony,  they  were  desirous 
of  cultivating  a  friendly  understanding  with  the  natives  of  the  country. 
Unfortunately,  however,  for  our  ancestors,  and  for  the  Indians  themselves, 
this  friendly  disposition  was  never  of  long  duration. 

•f  This  order  strikes  the  author  as  one  of  a  singular  character.  It  cer- 
tainly requires  great  judgment  and  experience  of  the  planters  to  decide  what 
number  of  plants  would  make  his  100  lbs.  of  tobacco,  considering  the  casu- 
alties to  which  his  crop  was  liable. 


INTRODUCTION. 


ix 


care  of  the  Frenchmen  and  others  sent  about  that  work  ;  to  try  silk 
grass  ;  to  plant  abundance  of  vines,  and  take  care  of  the  vignerors 
sent ; 

**To  put  prentices  to  trades,  and  not  let  them  forsake  their 
trades  for  planting  tobacco  or  any  such  useless  commodity  ; 

"To  take  care  of  the  Dutch  sent  to  build  saw-mills,  and  seat 
them  at  the  falls,  that  they  may  bring  their  timber  by  the  current  of 
the  water  ; 

' '  To  build  water-mills  and  block-houses  in  every  plantation  ; 

"That  all  contracts  in  England  or  Virginia  be  performed,  and 
the  breaches  punished  according  to  justice  ; 

' '  The  tenant  not  to  be  enticed  away  ;  to  take  care  of  those  sent 
about  an  iron  work,  and  especially  Mr.  John  Berkeley,  that  they 
don't  miscarry  again,  this  being  the  greatest  hope  and  expectation 
of  the  colonies  ; 

"To  make  salt,  pitch,  tar,  soap,  ashes,  &c.,  so  often  recom- 
mended, and  for  what  materials  had  been  sent ;  to  make  oil  of  wal- 
nuts, and  employ  apothecaries  in  distilling  lees  of  beer,  and  search- 
ing after  minerals,  dyes,  gums  and  drugs,  &c. ,  and  send  small 
quantities  home.  * 

"To  make  small  quantity  of  tobacco,  and  that  very  good  ;  that 
the  houses  appointed  for  the  reception  of  new  comers  and  public 
storehouses  be  built,  kept  clean,  &c.,  to  send  the  state  affairs  quar- 
terly, and  a  duplicate  next  shipping  ; 

"To  take  care  of  Captain  William  Norton,  and  certain  Italians 
sent  to  set  up  a  glass-house  ; 

' '  A  copy  of  a  treatise  of  the  plantation  business  and  excellent 
observances  made  by  a  gentleman  of  capacity  is  sent  to  lie  among  the 
records,  and  recommended  to  the  councillors  to  study  ; 

Mr.  William  Clay  borne,  a  surveyor,  sent  to  sur\rey  the  planters 
lands,  and  make  a  map  of  the  country. 

' '  To  make  discoveries  along  the  coast,  and  find  a  fishery  between 
James  River  and  Cape  Cod  ; 

"As  to  raising  staple  commodities,  the  chief  officers  ought  to  set 
examples,  and  to  aim  at  the  establishment  of  the  colony ' 

"  Chief  officers  that  have  tenants  repremanded  for  taking  fees  : 
but  require  that  the  clerks  have  fees  set  for  passes,  warrants,  copies 
or  orders,  &c. 

"Governor  and  council  to  appoint  proper  times  for  administration 
of  justice,  and  provide  for  the  entertainment  of  the  council  during 
their  session  ;  to  be  together  one  whole  month  about  state  affairs, 
and  law  suits  ;  to  record  plants  of  consequence,  to  keep  a  register  of 
the  acts  of  quarter  sessions,  and  send  home  copies  ; 

*  Sending  things  to  England,  was  in  the  phase  of  the  times,  termed 
sending  things  home.  The  mode  of  expression  "  going  home  or  sending 
home,'?'  was  in  use  within  the  recollection  of  the  author.  In  truth,  the  term 
"  going  or  sending  home,"  was  never  abandoned  until  after  the  war  of  the 
revolution. 

2 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

"  If  a  governor  dies,  the  major  part  of  the  council  to  choose  one 
of  themselves  within  fourteen  da3^s ;  but  if  voices  be  divided,  the 
lyieutenant-governor  shall  have  the  place  ;  and  next  the  Marshal, 
next  the  Treasurer  ;  and  one  of  the  two  Deputies  next ; 

' '  Governor  and  chief  officers  not  to  let  out  their  tenants  as  usual : 
The  Governor  only  to  summon  the  council,  and  sign  warrants, 
and  execute  or  give  authority  to  execute  council  orders,  except  in 
cases  that  do  belong  to  the  marshal,  treasurer,  deputies,  &c. 

' '  The  Governor  to  have  absolute  authority  to  determine  and 
punish  all  neglects,  and  contempts  of  authority,  except  the  councils, 
who  are  to  be  tried  at  the  quarter  sessions  and  censured.  Governor 
to  have  but  the  casting  voice  in  council  or  court,  but  in  the  assem- 
bly a  negative  voice ;     ^  .  . 

"That  care  be  taken  that  there  be  no  engrossing  commodity,  or 
forestalling  of  the  market  ; 

"  All  servants  to  fare  alike  in  the  colon}',  and  their  punishment 
for  any  offences  is  to  serve  the  colony,  in  public  works  ; 

"  To  see  that  the  Earl  of  Pembroke's  thirty  thousand  acres  be 
very  good  ; 

"  And  lastly,  not  to  let  ships  stay  long,  and  to  freight  them  with 
walnut  and  any  leas  valuable  commodity  ; 

* '  The  Governor  to  administer  the  follovving  oath  to  the  council : 

"You  shall  swear  to  be  a  true  and  faithful  servant  unto  the 
"  king's  majesty,  as  one  of  his  council  for  Virginia.  You  shall  in  all 
"  things  to  be  moved,  treated,  and  debated  in  that  council  concern- 
"  ing  Virginia  or  any  of  the  territories  of  America,  between  the  de- 
"grees  of  thirt3'-four  and  forty-five  from  the  equinoctial  line  north- 
"  ward,  of  the  trade  thereof,  faithfully  and  truly  declare  your  mind 
'  *  and  opinion,  according  to  your  heart  and  conscience  ;  and  shall  keep 
"secret  all  matters  committed  and  revealed  to  you  concerning  the 
"  same,  and  that  shall  be  treated  secretly  m  that  council,  or  this  coun- 
"  cil  of  Virginia,  or  the  more  part  of  them,  publication  shall  not  be 
"made  thereof.  And  of  all  matters  of  great  importance,  or  diffi- 
"culty,  before  you  resolve  thereuj  on,  you  shall  make  his  majesty's 
"privy  council  acquainted  therewith,  and  follow  their  directions 
"  therein.  You  shall  to  your  uttermost  bear  faith  and  allegiance  to 
"the  king's  majesty,  his  heirs,  and  lawful  successors,  and  shall  as- 
"sist  and  defend  all  jurisdictions,  pre-eminences,  and  authorities, 
"granted  unto  his  majest}^  and  annexed  unto  the  ciown,  against  all 
"foreign  princes,  persons,  prelates  or  potentates  whatsoever,  be  it  by 
"act  of  parliament  Or  otherwise;  and  generally,  in  all  things,  you 
"shall  do  as  a  faithful  and  true  servant  and  subject  ought  to  do.  So 
"help  your  God  and  the  holy  contents  of  this  book." — Hening's 
Stat,  at  lyarge,  vol.  i.  p.  114-118. 

It  appears  the  foregoing  instructions  were  drawn  up  by  the 
council,  and  intended  as  the  general  principles  for  the  government  of 
the  colony. 

The  recommendation  "not  to  injure  the  natives  and  forget  old 


INTRODUCTION. 


xi 


quarrels  now  buried,"  goes  far  to  prove  that  hopes  are  entertained 
that  the  Indians  were  disposed  to  be  at  peace.  ''To  use  means  to 
convert  the  heathen,"  is  another  evidence  of  this  amicable  state  of 
feeling  towards  the  natives.  But  lo  !  this  state  of  peace  and  tran- 
quility, in  less  than  one  year  after,  was  changed  into  one  of  devesta- 
tion,  blood  and  mourning.  On  the  226.  of  March,  1622,  the  Indians 
committed  the  most  bloody  massacre  on  the  colonists,  recorded  in  the 
annals  of  the  country.  * 

In  the  following  year,  to-wit :,  March,  1623,  the  colonial  general 
assembl}^  by  a  statute,  directed,  that  the  22d  of  March  be  yearly 
solemnized  as  a  holiday."  f  This  was  done  to  commemorate  the  es- 
cape of  the  colony  from  entire  extirpation.  This  blood 3^  massacre 
produced  on  the  part  of  the  whites,  a  most  deadly  and  irreconcilable 
hatred  towards  the  natives.  Accordingly  we  find  that  a  long  con- 
tinued and  unabating  state  of  hostilities  was  kept  up,  and  in  one 
hundred  years  the  Indians  were  driven  from  the  country  east  of  the 
Blue  Ridge.  At  the  same  session,  to-wit  :,  1623,  the  legislature  en- 
acted several  laws  in  relation  to  defending  themselves  against  the 
savages.    In  the  series  are  the  following  : 

"  That  every  dwelling  house  shall  be  pallisaded  in  for  defense 
against  the  Indians  ; 

That  no  man  go  or  send  abroad  without  a  sufficient  party  well 
armed  ; 

"That  people  go  not  to  work  in  the  ground  without  their  arms 
(and  a  sentinel  upon  them). 

' '  That  the  inhabitants  go  not  aboard  ships  or  upon  any  other 
occasions,  in  such  numbers  as  thereby  to  weaken  and  endanger  the 
plantations  ; 

* '  That  the  commander  of  every  plantation  take  care  that  there 
be  sufficient  of  power  and  ammunition  within  the  plantation  under 
his  command  and  their  pieces  fixed  and  their  arms  complete  ; 

'  *  That  there  be  due  watch  kept  by  night ; 

*  *  That  no  commander  of  any  plantation  do  either  himself  or 
suffer  others  to  spend  powder  unnecessarily,  in  drinking  or  entertain- 
ment, &c. 

' '  That  at  the  beginning  of  July  next  the  inhabitants  of  every 
corporation  shall  go  upon  their  adjoining  salvages,  as  we  did  last 
year." — Hen.  Stat,  at  Large,  vol.  i.,  p.  127,  128. 

In  the  year  1629,  the  legislature  again  "  ordered  that  every  com- 
mander of  the  several  plantations  appointed  by  commission  from  the 
governor,  shall  have  power  and  authorit}^  to  levy  a  party  of  men  out 


*  This  year  (1622),  says  Mr.  Gordon  in  his  history  of  the  American  revo- 
lution (vol.  i.  p.  43),  "  was  remarkable  for  a  massacre  of  the  colonists  by  the 
Indians,  which  was  executed  with  the  utmost  subtility,  and  without  any  re- 
gard to  age,  sect,  or  dignity.  A  well  concerted  attack  on  all  the  settlements 
destroyed  in  one  hour,  almost  at  the  same  instant,  347  persons,  who  were 
defenceless  and  incapable  of  making  resistance." 

f  Hening's  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  i,  p.  123. 


INTRODUCTION. 


of  the  inhabitants  of  that  place  so  many  as  may  well  be  spared  with- 
out too  much  weakening  of  the  plantations,  and  to  employ  those  men 
against  the  Indians,  &c. — Idem,  p.  140. 

' '  It  was  the  opinion  of  the  whole  body  of  the  Assembly  that  we 
should  go  three  several  marches  upon  the  Indians,  at  three  severaT 
times  of  the  year,  viz  :  first  in  November,  secondly  in  March,  thirdly 
in  July  &c. — Idem,  p.  141. 

In  1631-32,  "  It  is  ordered  that  no  person  or  persons  shall  dare 
to  speak  or  parley  with  any  Indians,  either  in  the  woods  or  in  any 
plantation,  if  he  can  possibly  avoid  it  by  any  means,"  &c. — Idem, 
p.  67. 

The  author  considers  the  foregoing  extracts  sufficient  to  enable 
the  reader  to  form  some  opinion  of  the  spirit  and  character  of  the 
early  settlers  of  our  State,  particularly  as  it  relates  to  the  sufferings 
and  difficulties  with  the  Indian  tribes.  It  is  not  deemed  expedient  or 
necessary  to  go  into  a  detailed  history  of  the  first  settlement  of  our 
country,  as  there  are  several  general  histories  of  Virginia  now  to  be 
obtained,  written  by  authors,  whose  abilities  and  means  of  informa- 
tion the  author  could  not  expect  to  equal. 

The  author  will  close  this  brief  sketch  of  the  first  settlement  of 
Virginia,  with  a  few  general  remarks  in  relation  to  the  first  intro- 
duction of  slavery.  It  appears  from  our  early  historians,  that  ne- 
groes were  first  introduced  into  our  State  from  ' '  a  Dutch  ship  in  the 
year  1620."  O  woful  day  for  our  country  !  To  use  the  language 
of  Mr.  Snowden,  this  was  '  *  an  evil  hour  ' '  for  our  country — it  truly 
brought  ' '  7iew  sins  and  7iew  deaths ' '  to  the  new  world.  The  present 
generation  have  abundant  cause  to  deplore  the  unhallowed  cupidity 
and  want  of  all  the  finer  feelings  of  our  nature,  manifested  in  this 
baleful  and  unrighteous  traffic.  It  has  entailed  upon  us  a  heavy 
calamity,  which  will  perhaps  require  the  wisdom  of  ages  yet  to  come 
to  remove.  That  it  must  and  will  be  removed,  there  can  be  but  little 
doubt.  History  furnishes  no  example  of  any  part  of  the  human  race 
being  kept  in  a  perpetual  slaver3^  Whether  the  scheme  of  sending 
them  to  Africa  will  ultimately  produce  the  desired  effect,  can  onlj^be 
tested  by  time  ;  it  is,  however,  most  "  devoutly"  to  be  desired. 

bacon's  RBBKIvIvION  in  VIRGINIA  IN  1 675-76. 

The  document  which  follows  relates  to  one  of  the  most  singular 
events  which  ever  occurred  in  Virginia,  audits  interests  are  a  suffici- 
ent inducement  for  its  insertion  in  this  work.  It  was  published  in 
the  Richmond  Evangelical  Magazine  many  years  ago,  but  is  now  out 
of  print.  The  editor  of  that  work,  (the  late  revered  and  high  es- 
teemed Dr.  Rice) ,  introducing  it  into  his  pages  says  :  "It  was  taken 
verbatim  from  a  copy  in  the  library  now  belonging  to  Congress,  but 
formerly  the  property  of  Mr.  Jefferson.  Who  the  author  is  we  can 
not  discover.  He  was  certainly  a  man  of  much  cleverness  and  wrote 
well.    But  our  readers  will  judge  for  themselves.    The  name  of 


INTRODUCTION. 


Bacon  is  very  little  known  to  our  citizens  generally,  and  this  part 
of  our  history  has  been  veiled  in  great  obscurity.  There  are  two 
remembrances  of  this  extraordinary  man  in  the  neighborhood  of  Rich- 
mond. A  brook  in  the  northwest  of  the  city,  which  bears  the  name 
of  "  Bacon  Quarter  Branch,"  is  said  to  have  received  its  name  from 
the  fact  that  on  that  brook  Bacon  had  his  quarters.  Buck  says  that 
he  owned  a  plantation  on  Chockoe  Creek,  of  which  the  stream  just 
mentioned  is  a  branch.  One  of  the  finest  springs  in  Richmond, or  its 
vicinity,  is  in  the  east  side  of  the  cit\^,  and  is  called  Blood}'  Run 
Spring.  Its  name  is  said  to  be  derived  from  a  sanguinary  conflict 
which  Bacon  had  with  the  Indians,  on  the  margin  of  the  streamlet 
which  flows  from  this  spring. 

The  following  account  of  the  original  from  which  this  document 
was  taken,  is  given  by  Mr.  Jefferson,  in  his  own  words  : 

"  The  original  manuscript,  of  which  the  following  isacopy,was 
communicated  to  me  by  Mr.  King,  our  late  minister  plenipotentiary 
at  the  court  of  London,  in  a  letter  of  Dec.  20,  1803.  The  transac- 
tion which  it  records,  although  of  little  extent  of  consequence  is  yet 
marked  in  the  history  of  Virginia,  as  having  been  the  only  rebellion 
or  insurrection  which  took  place  in  the  colony  during  the  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty-eight  years  of  its  existence  preceding  the  American 
revolution,  and  one  hundred  years  exactly  before  that  event ;  in  the 
contest  with  the  house  of  Stuart,  it  only  accompanied  the  steps  of 
the  mother  country.  The  rebellion  of  Bacon  has  been  little  under- 
stood, its  cause  and  course  being  imperfectl}^  explained  by  any  au- 
thentic materials  hitherto  possessed  ;  this  renders  the  present  narra- 
tive of  real  value.  It  appears  to  have  been  written  by  a  person' 
intimately  acquainted  with  its  origin,  progress  and  conclusion,  thirty 
years  after  it  took  place,  and  when  the  passion  of  the  day  had 
subsided,  and  reason  might  take  a  cool  and  dehberate  review  of  the 
transaction.  It  was  written,  too,  not  for  public  eye,  but  to  satisfy  the 
desire  of  minister  Lord  Oxford  ;  and  the  candor  and  simplicity  of  the 
narration  cannot  fail  to  commend  belief.  On  the  outside  of  the  cover 
of  the  manuscript  is  the  No.  3947  in  one  place  and  5781  in  another. 
Very  possibly  the  one  may  indicate  the  place  it  held  in  Lord  Oxford's 
library,  and  the  other  its  number  in  the  catalogue  of  the  blookseller 
to  whose  hands  it  came  afterwards  ;  for  it  was  at  the  sale  of  the  stock 
of  a  bookseller  that  Mr.  King  purchased  it. 

To  bring  the  authenticity  of  this  copy  as  near  to  that  of  the 
original  as  I  could  I  have  most  carefully  copied  it  with  my  own  hand. 
The  pages  and  lines  of  the  copy  correspond  exactly  with  those  of  the 
original  ;  the  orthograph}^,  abbreviations,  punctuations,  interlinea- 
tions and  incorrectness,  are  preserved,  so  that  it  is  a /ac  szmi/e  exce-pt 
as  to  the  form,  of  the  letter.  The  orthography  and  abbreviations  are 
evidences  of  the  age  of  the  writing. 

"The  author  says  of  himself  that  he  was  2. planter ;  that  he 
lived  in  Northiunberland,  but  was  elected  a  member  of  the  assembly 
in  1676  for  the  County  of  Stafford,  Colonel  Mason  being  his  colleague, 


xiv 


INTRODUCTION. 


of  which  assembly  Col.  Warner  was  speaker ;  that  it  was  the  first 
and  should  be  the  last  time  of  his  meddling  with  public  affairs  ;  and 
he  subscribes  the  initials  of  his  name  T.  M.  Whether  the  records 
of  the  time,  (if  they  still  exist),  with  the  aid  of  these  circumstances, 
will  show  what  his  name  was,  remains  for  further  inquiry." 

THK  MANUSCRIPT. 

To  the  right  hono'^ble  Robert  Harley  esq'r.  her  Mag'ties  Principal 
Secretary  of  State,  and  one  of  the  most  honorable  Privy  Council. 

S'R. 

The  great  honor  of  your  command  obliging  my  pen  to  step  aside 
from  my  habitual  element  of  fiigures  into  this  little  treatise  of  his- 
tory ;  which  having  never  before  experienced,  I  am  like  Sutor  ultra 
crepidam,  and  therefore  dare  pretend  no  more  than  (nakedly)  recount 
matters  of  ffact. 

Beseeching  yo'r  hon'r  will  vouch  safe  to  allow,  that  in  30 
years  divers  occurrences  are  laps'd  out  of  mind  and  others  imper- 
fectly retained. 

So  far  as  the  most  solemn  obedience  can  now  be  paid,  is  to  pursue 
the  track  of  barefac'd  truth,  as  close  as  my  memory  can  recollect,  to 
have  seen,  or  believed,  from  creditable  ffriends  with  concurring  cir- 
cumstances : 

And  whatsoever  yo'r  celebrated  wisdom  shall  finde  amiss  in  the 
composure,  my  entire  dependence  is  upon  yo'r  candor  favorably  to 
accept  these  most  sincere  endeavors  of       Yo'r  Hon'rs 

Most  devoted  humble  serv't. 

The  13th  July,  lyoj.  T.  M. 

The  beginning,  progress  and  conclusion  of  Bacoji's  rebellion  i?i  Vir- 
ginia in  the  year  idy)  &  idyd. 

About  the  year  1675,  appear 'd  three  prodigies  in  that  country, 
which  from  th'  attending  disasters  were  look'd  upon  as  ominous 
presages. 

The  one  was  a  large  comet  every  evening:  for  a  week,  or  more  at 
Southwest ;  thirty-five  degrees  high  streaming  like  a  horses  taile 
westwards,  until  it  reach'd  (almost)  thehorison,  and  setting  towards 
the  North-west. 

Another  was,  fflights  of  pigieons  in  breadth  nigh  a  quarter  of 
the  med-hemisphere,  and  of  their  length  was  no  visible  end  ;  whose 
weights  brake  down  the  limbs  of  large  trees  whereon  these  rested  at 
nights,  of  which  the  ffowlers  shot  abundance  and  eat  'em  ;  this 
sight  put  the  old  planters  under  the  more  portentous  apprehensions, 
because  the  like  was  seen,  (as  they  said),  in  the  year  1640  when  th' 
Indians  committed  the  last  massacre,  but  not  after,  until  that  present 
year  1675. 


INTRODUCTION. 


XV 


The  third  strange  appearance  was  a  swarm  of  fflies  about  an 
inch  long,  and  big  as  the  top  of  a  man's  little  finger,  rising  out  of 
spigot  holes  in  the  earth,  which  eat  the  new  sprouted  leaves  from  the 
tops  of  the  trees  without  doing  other  harm,  and  in  a  month  left  us. 

My  dwelling  was  in  Northumberland,  the  lowest  county  on 
Potomack  River,  Stafford  being  the  upmost,  where  having  also  a 
plantation,  servants,  cattle,  &c.  my  overseer  had  agreed  with  one 
Rob't  Hen,  to  come  thither,  and  be  my  herdsman,  who  then  lived 
ten  miles  above  it ;  but  on  a  sabbath  morning  in  the  sumer  anno 
1675,  people  on  their  way  to  church,  saw  this  Hen  lying  thwart  his 
threshold,  and  an  Indian  without  the  door,  both  chopt  on  their  heads, 
arms  &  other  parts,  as  if  done  with  Indian  hatchetts,  th'  Indian  was 
dead,  but  Hen  when  asked  who  did  that  ?  answered  Doegs,  Doegs, 
and  soon  died,  then  a  boy  who  came  out  from  under  a  bed  where  he 
had  hid  himself,  and  told  them  Indians  at  come  at  break  of  day  & 
done  those  murders. 

ffrom  this  Knglismen's  bloud  did  (by  degrees)  arise  Bacons 
rebellion  with  the  following  mischiefs  which  overspread  all  Virginia 
&  tvv^ice  endangered  Maryland,  as  by  the  ensueing  account  is 
evident. 

Of  this  horrid  action  Coll:  Mason  w^ho  commanded  the  militia 
regiment  of  ffoot  &  Capt.  Brent  the  troop  of  horse  in  that  county, 
(both  dwelling  six  or  eight  miles  downwards)  having  speedy  notice 
raised  30,  or  more  men,  &  pursu'd  those  Indians  20  miles  up 
&  4  miles  over  that  river  into  Maryland,  where  landing  at  dawn  of 
day,  they  found  two  small  paths  each  leader  with  his  party  a  separ- 
ate path  and  in  less  than  a  furlong  either  found  a  cabin,  which  they 
(silently)  surrounded.  Capt.  Brent  went  to  the  Doegs  cabin  (as  it 
proved  to  be)  who  speaking  the  Indian  tongue  called  to  have  a 
Machacomicha  woevvhio  "  i.  e.  a  council  called  presently  such  being 
the  usual  manner  with  Indians  the  king  came  trembling  forth,  and 
wou'd  have  fled,  when  Capt.  Brent,  catching  hold  of  his  twisted  lock 
(which  was  all  the  hair  he  wore)  told  him  he  was  come  for  the  mur- 
der of  Rob't  Hen,  the  king  pleaded  ignorance  and  slipt  loos,  whom 
Brent  shot  dead  with  his  pistoU,  th'  Indians  shot  two  or  three  guns 
out  of  the  cabin,  th'  English  shot  into  it,  th'  Indians  throng'd  out 
at  the  door  and  fled,  th'  English  shot  as  many  as  they  cou'd,  so  that 
they  killed  ten,  as  Capt.  Brent  told  me,  and  brought  away  the  kings 
son  of  about  8  years  old,  concerning  whom  is  an  observable  passage, 
at  the  end  of  this  expedition  ;  the  noise  of  the  shooting  awaken' d  the 
Indians  in  the  cabin,  which  Coll:  Mason  had  encompassed, who  like- 
wise rush'd  out  &  fled,  of  whom  his  company  (supposing  from  the 
noise  of  shooting  Brent's  part}'  to  be  engaged)  shot  (as  the  Coll :  in- 
formed me)  ffourteen  before  an  Indian  came,  who  with  both  hands 
shook  him  (friendly)  by  one  arm  says  Susquehanoughs  netoughs  i.  e. 
Susquehanough  friends  and  fled,  whereupon  he  ran  amongst  his  men 
crying  out  *  *  ffor  the  I^ords  sake  shoot  no  more,  these  are  our  friends 
the  Susquehanoughs. 


xvi 


INTRODUCTION. 


This  unhappy  scene  ended  ; — Collo.  Mason  took  the  king  of  the 
Doegs  son  home  with  him,  who  lay  ten  days  in  bed,  as  one  dead, 
with  eyes  and  mouth  shntt,  no  breath  discern'd,  but  his  body  con- 
tinuing warm,  they  believed  him  yett  alive  ;  th'  aforenamed  Capt. 
Brent  (a  papist)  coming  hither  on  a  visit  and  seeing  his  little  prisoner 
thus  languishing  said  "  perhaps  he  is  pavvewawd  i.  e.  bewitch'd,  and 
that  he  had  heard  baptism  was  an  effectual  remedy  against  witch- 
craft wherefore  advis'd  to  baptise  him  Collo.  Mason,  answered  no 
minister  cou'd  be  had  in  many  miles  ;  Brent  replied  yo'r  clerk  Mr. 
Dobson  may  do  that  office,  which  was  done  by  the  church  of  Eng- 
land liturgy  ;  Collo.  Mason  with  Capt.  Brent  godfather  and  Mrs. 
Mason  godmother,  my  overseer  Mr.  Pimet  being  present,  from  whom 
I  first  heard  it,  and  which  all  the'  other  persons  (afterward)  affirm'd 
to  me  ;  the  ffour  men  returned  to  drinking  punch,  but  Mrs.  Mason 
stayed  &  looking  on  the  child,  it  open'd  the  eyes,  and  breath 'd 
whereat  she  ran  for  a  cordial,  which  he  took  from  a  spoon,  gaping 
for  more  and  so  (by  degrees)  recovered,  tho'  before  his  baptism,  they 
had  often  tryed  the  same  means  but  could  not  by  no  endeavours 
wrenched  open  his  teeth. 

This  was  taken  as  a  convincing  proof  against  infidelity. 

But  to  return  from  this  digression,  the  Susquehanoughs  were 
newly  driven  from  their  habitations,  at  the  head  of  Chesepiack  Bay, 
by  the  Cinela  Indians,  down  to  the  head  of  the  Potomack,  where 
they  sought  protection  under  the  Pascataway  Indians,  who  had  a 
Fort  near  the  head  of  that  river,  and  also  were  our  ffriends. 

After  this  unfortunate  exploit  of  Mason  &  Brent,  one  or  two 
being  kill'd  in  Stafford, boats  of  war  were  equipped  to  prevent  excur- 
sions over  the  river,  at  the  same  time  murders  being  likewise  com- 
mitted in  Maryland,  by  whom  not  known,  on  either  side  of  the  river, 
both  countrys  raised  their  quota's  of  a  thousand  men,  upon  whose 
coming  before  the  ffort,  the  Indians  sent  out  4  of  their  great  men, 
who  ask'd  the  reason  of  that  hostile  appearance,  what  they  said 
more  or  offered  I  do  not  remember  to  have  heard  ;  but  our  two  com- 
manders caused  them  to  be  (instantly)  slaine,  after  which  the  In- 
dians made  an  obstinate  resistance  shooting  many  of  our  men,  and 
making  frequent,  fierce  and  bloody  sallyes  ;  and  when  they  were 
call'd  to,  or  offered  parley,  gave  no  other  answer,  than  "  where  are 
our  four  Cockarouses,  i.  e.  great  men  ? 

At  the  end  of  six  weeks,  march 'd  out  seventy-five  Indians  with 
their  women,  children  &c.  who  by  moonlight  passed  our  guards  hol- 
lowing &  firing  at  them  without  opposition  having  3  or  4  decripts 
in  the  ffort. 

The  next  morning  th'  English  followed,  but  could  not,  or  (for 
fear  of  ambuscades)  would  not  overtake  these  desperate  fugitives  the 
number  we  lost  in  that  siege  I  did  not  hear  was  published. 

The  wall  of  this  fort  was  high  banks  of  earth,  with  flankers 
having  many  loop-holes,  and  a  ditch  round  all,  and  without  this  a 
row  of  tall  trees  fastened  3.  feet  deep  in  the  earth,  their  bodies  from 


INTRODUCTION. 


xvii 


5.  to  8.  inches  diameter,  watled  6.  inches  apart  to  shoot  through 
with  the  tops  twisted  together,  and  also  artifically  wrought,  as  our 
men  could  make  no  breach  to  storm  it,  nor  (being  low  land)  could 
the}^  undermine  it  b}^  reason  of  water  neither  had  they  cannon  to 
batter  itt,  so  that  'twas  not  taken,  untill  amine  drove  the  Indians 
out  of  it. 

These  escap'd  Indians  (forsaking  Maryland)  took  their  rout 
over  the  head  of  that  river,  and  thence  of  the  heads  of  Rappahan- 
nock &  York  Rivers,  killing  whom  they  found  of  the  upmost  plan- 
tations until  they  came  to  the  head  of  the  James  River,  where  (with 
Bacon  and  others)  they  slew  Mr.  Bacon's  overseer  whom  he  much 
loved,  and  one  of  his  servants,  whose  bloud  hee  vowed  to  revenge  if 
possible. 

In  these  frightful  times  the  most  exposed  small  families  withdrew 
into  our  houses  of  better  numbers,  vrhich  we  fortified  with  palisa- 
does  and  redoubts,  neighbours  in  bodys  joined  their  labours  from 
each  plantation  to  others  alternately;  taking  their  armiS  into  the 
ffields,  and  setting  sentinels;  no  man  stirred  out  of  doors  unarm' d. 
Indians  were  (ever  &  anon)  espied,  three  4.  5.  or  6.  .in  a  party  lurk- 
ing throughout  the  whole  land,  yet  (what  was  remarkable)  I  rarely 
heard  of  an}^  houses  burnt,  tho'  abundance  was  forsaken,  nor  ever, 
or  any  corn  or  tobacco  cut  up,  or  other  injury  done,  besides  murders, 
e:j5cept  the  killing  of  a  V;ery  few  cattle -and  swine. 

•:■  Frequent  complaints  of  "bloudsheds  were  sent  to  Sir  William 
Berkeley  .;■  (then  Govern' r)  from  the  heads  of  the  rivers,  which 
were  as  often  answered  with  promises  of  assistance. 

These  at.  the  heads  of  James  and  York  Rivers  (having  now  most 
people,  destr.oj'.ed  by- the  Indians  flight  thither  from  Potomack)  grew 
impatii^fjat-the  many  sHiigiifteiiS  of  . -their  neighbours  and  rose  for 
iJipir:!((W*'ti-:def^s©,.n\io  jchiising- •  Mr.  Bacon  for  their  leader,  sent 
•ofteotimeS' £0.  the  Gbvern;'''rvhvrmbLy  beseeching  a  commission  to  go 
^gajiist:  those  ^Jiidians' at 'their  iow'h  .charge  which  his  hon'r  as  often 
prQinised'J^ut'did:mot  send>;Kt?&e  riilstep.y-e^  of  JLhese  delays,  were  won- 
dered, tit.  alnd' which -I  ne'-er  heard  CQud^  penetrate  into,  other  than  the 
■^ffecti^iiofj  .'his  passid»,r;and  a  new  (libt  to  be  mentioned)  occasion  of 
fiS^5ise.prto  bc>tk:Avhifeh^he;was  (by  the  common  vogue)  more  than 
Qo-'litXl^tAiiddmt^d:';  ;wkMe\ien  were  the  popular  surmizes  &  mur- 

•  f*:ittet^0;;builiets:would  pierce  bever  skins. 

•  •  i^-ri'^reheHs  £orfdi'tures:iWould  be  loyall  in  &c 

;  ..:')•.;  Bu^'iizi:g'these-protr-ac-tioBs  andifieople  often  slaine,  most  or  all  of 
the.--^8ie$a*s,  civil '&.  military!  raitlSL^'i^s  ihany  dwellers  next  the  heads 
of"-  the  rivers  as  made  up  300.  men  taking  Mr.  Bacon  for  their  com- 
mand'r  met,  and  concerted  together,  the  danger  of  going  without  a 
commiss'n  on  the  one  part,  and  the  continuall  murders  of  their 
neighbours  on  the  other  part  (not  knowing  whose  or  how^  man}^  of 
their  ow-n  turns  might  be  next)  and  came  to  this  resolution  viz't  to 
prepare  themselves  with  necessaries  for  a  march,  but  interim  to  send 

3 


xviii 


INTRODUCTION. 


again  for  a  commission,  which  if  could  or  could  not  be  obtayned  by 
a  certaine  day,  they  would  proceed  commission  or  no  commission. 

This  day  lapsing  &  no  com'n  come,  they  marched  into  the  wild- 
erness in  quest  of  those  Indians  after  whom  the  Govern' r  sent  his 
proclamation,  denouncing  all  rebells,  who  should  not  return  within 
a  limited  day,  whereupon  those  of  estates  obey'd ;  but  Mr.  Bacon 
with  57.  men  proceeded  until  their  provisions  were  near  spent,  with- 
out finding  the  enemy's  when  coming  nigh  a  ffort  of  ifriend  Indians, 
on  th'  other  side  of  a  branch  of  James  River,  they  desired  reliefe 
offering  paym't,  which  these  Indians  kindly  promised  to  help  them 
with  on  the  morrow,  but  put  them  off  with  promises  until  the  third 
day,  so  as  then  having  eaten  their  last  morsells  they  could  not  re- 
turn, but  must  have  starved  in  the  way  homeward  and  now 
'twas  suspected  these  Indians  had  received  private  messages  from 
the  Govern' r  &  those  to  be  the  cause  of  these  delusive  procrastina- 
tions ;  whereupon  the  English  waded  shoulder  deep  thro'  that 
branch  of  the  ffort  palisado's  still  entreating  and  tendering  pay,  for 
victuals  ;  but  that  evening  a  shot  from  the  place  they  left  on  th' 
other  side  of  that  branch  kill'd  one  of  Mr.  Bacon's  men  which  made 
them  believe,  those  in  the  ffort  had  sent  for  other  Indians  to  come 
behind  'em  &  cut  'em  off. 

Hereupon  they  fired  the  palisado's,  storm' d  &  burnt  the  ffort 
and  cabins,  and  (with  the  losse  of  three  English)  slew  1 50  Indians. 
The  circumstances  of  this  expedic'n  Mr.  Bacon  entertain' d  me  with, 
at  his  own  chamber,  on  a  visit  I  made  him,  the  occasion  hereof  is 
hereafter  mentioned. 

ffrom  hence  they  returned  home  where  writts  were  come  up  to 
elect  members  for  an  assembly,  when  Mr.  Bacon  was  unanimously 
chosen  for  one,  who  coming  down  the  river  was  commanded  by  a 
ship  with  guns  to  come  on  board,  where  waited  Major  Houe  the 
high  sheriff  of  James  town  ready  to  seize  him,  by  whom  he  was 
carried  down  to  the  Govern' r  &  by  him  receiv'd  with  a  surprizing 
civility  in  the  following  words  ' '  Mr.  Bacon  you  had  for  got  to  be  a 
gentleman."  No,  may  it  please  yo'r  hon'r  answer'd  Mr.  Bacon; 
then  replyed  the  Govern' r  I'll  take  yo'r  parol,  and  gave  him  his 
liberty  ;  in  March  1675-6  writts  came  up  to  Stafford  to  choose  their 
two  members  for  an  assembly  to  meet  in  May  ;  when  Collo.  Mason 
Capt.  Brent  and  other  gentleman  of  that  county  invited  me  to  stand 
as  a  candidate  ;  a  matter  I  little  dreamt  of,  having  never  had  inclina- 
c'ions  to  tamper  into  the  precarious  intrigues  of  Governm't,  and  my 
hands  being  full  of  my  own  business  ;  they  press' t  severall  cogent 
argum'ts.  and  I  having  considerable  debts  in  the  county,  besides  my 
plantation  concerns,  where  (in  one  &  th'  other),  I  had  much  more 
severely  suffered,  than  any  of  themselves  by  th'  Indian  disturbances 
in  the  summer  and  winter  foregoing.  I  held  it  not  (then)  discreet  to 
disoblige  the  rules  of  it,  so  Collo:  Mason  with  myself  were  elected 
without  objection,  he  at  time  convenient  went  on  horse  back ;  I 
took  my  sloop  &  the  morning  I  arriv'd  to  James  town  after  a  weeks 


INTRODUCTION. 


xix 


voyage,  was  welcomed  with  the  strange  acclamations  of  All's  Over 
Bacon  is  taken,  having  not  heard  at  home  of  the  Southern  com'o- 
tions,  other  than  rumors  like  idle  tales,  of  one  Bacon  risen  up  in 
rebellion,  no  body  knew  for  what,  concerning  the  Indians. 

The  next  forenoon,  th'  Assembly  being  met  in  a  chamber  over 
the  general  court  &  our  speaker  chosen,  the  Govern' r  sent  for  us 
down,  where  his  hon'r  w4th  a  pathetic  emphasis  made  a  short  abrupt 
speech  wherein  where  these  words. 

* '  If  they  had  killed  my  grandfather  and  my  grandmother,  my 
"father  and  mother  and  all  my  friends,  yet  if  they  had  come  to  treat 
"of  peace,  they  ought  to  have  gone  in  peace,"  and  sat  down. 

The  two  chief  commanders  at  the  aforementioned  siege,  who 
slew  the  ffour  Indian  great  men,  being  present  and  part  of  our 
assembly. 

The  Govern' or  stood  up  againe  and  said  "if  there  be  joy  in  the 
"  presence  of  the  Angels  over  one  sinner  that  repented,  there  is  joy 
"  now,  for  we  have  a  penitent  sinner  come  before  us,  call  Mr.  Bacon; 
then  did  Mr.  Bacon  upon  one  knee  at  the  bar  deliver  a  sheet  of  paper 
confessing  his  crimes,  and  begging  pardon  of  god  the  king  and  the 
Govern' r  whereto  [after  short  pause]  he  answered  "  God  forgive  you, 
I  forgive  you,  thrice  repeating  the  same  words  ;  when  Collo  :  Cole 
[one  of  the  council]  said  "  and  all  that  were  with  him,  Yea,  said  the 
Governor  &  all  that  were  with  him,  twenty  or  more  persons  being 
then  in  irons  who  were  taken  coming  down  in  the  same  &  other  ves- 
sels with  Mr.  Bacon. 

About  a  minute  after  this  the  Govern' or  started  up  from  his 
chair  a  third  time  said  ' '  Mr.  Bacon  !  if  you  will  live  civily  but  till  next 
Quarter  court  [doubling  the  words]  till  next  Quarter  court.  He 
promise  to  restore  you  againe  to  yo'r  place,  there  pointing  with  his 
hand  to  Mr.  Bacons  seat,  he  having  been  of  the  Councill  before  the 
trouble,  tho'  he  had  been  a  very  short  time  in  Virginia  but  was  de- 
posed by  the  aforesaid  proclamac'on  and  in  the  afternoon  passing  by 
the  court  door,  in  my  way  up  to  our  chamber,  I  saw  Mr.  Bacon  on 
his  quandam  seat  the  Govern' r  &  councill  which  seemed  a  marv'el- 
ious  indulgence  to  one  whom  he  had  so  lately  prescribed  a  rebell. 

The  Govern' r  had  directed  us  to  consider  of  means  for  security 
from  th'  Indian  insults  and  to  defray  the  charge  &c.  advising  us  to 
beware  of  two  rogues  amongst  us,  naming  Laurence  and  Drummond 
both  dwelling  in  James  town  and  who  where  not  at  the  Pascateway 
siege. 

But  at  our  entrance  upon  business,  some  gentleman  took  this 
opportunity  to  endeavour  he  redressing  severall  grievances  the  coun- 
try then  labor' d  under,  motions  were  made  for  inspecting  the  pub- 
lick  revenues,  the  Collectors  accompts  &c.  and  so  far  was  proceeded 
as  to  name  part  of  a  committee  whereof  Mr.  Bristol  [now  in  London] 
was  and  myself  another,  when  we  were  interrupted  by  pressing  mes- 
sages from  the  Govern 'r  to  meddle  with  nothing  until  the  Indian 
business  was  dispatch' t. 


XX 


INTRODUCTION. 


This  debate  rose  high,  but  was  overruled  and  I  have  not  heard 
that  these  inspections  have  since  then  been  insisted  upon,  tho'  such 
of  that  indigent  people  as  had  no  benefits  from  the  taxes  groaned 
under  our  being  thus  overborn. 

The  next  thing  was  a  Co'mittee  for  the  Indian  affaires,  whereas 
in  appointing  members,  myself  was  unwillingly  nominated  having 
no  knowledge  in  martiall  preparations,  and  after  our  names  were 
taken,  some  of  the  house  moved  for  sending  2  of  our  members  to  in- 
treat  the  Govern' r  wou'd  please  to  assign  two  of  his  councill  to  sit 
with,  and  assist  us  in  our  debates,  as  had  been  usuall. 

When  seeing  all  silent  looking  at  each  other  with  many  discon- 
tented faces,  I  ventured  to  offer  my  humble  opinion  to  the  Speaker 
"  for  the  co'mittee  to  form  methods  as  agreeable  to  the  sense  of  the 
"  house  as  we  could,  and  report  'em  whereby  they  would  more  clearly 
''see,  on  what  points  to  give  the  Govem'r  and  Councill  that  trouble 
''  if  perhaps  it  might  be  usefull." 

These  few  words  raised  an  uproar  ;  one  party  urging  hard  ' '  it 
had  been  customary  and  ought  not  to  be  omitted  :"  whereto  Mr. 
Presley  my  neighbor  an  old  assembly  man,  sitting  next  me,  rose  up, 
and  [in  a  blundering  manner  replied]  "  tis  true,  it  has  been  custom- 
*'ary,  but  if  we  have  any  bad  customs  among  us,  we  come  here  to 
"  mend  'em"  which  set  the  house  in  laughter. 

This  was  huddl'd  off  without  coming  to  a  vote,  and  so  the  co'- 
mittee must  submit  to  be  overaw'd,  and  have  every  carpt  at  expres- 
sion carried  straight  to  the  Govern' r. 

Our  co'mittee  being  sat,  the  Queen  of  Pakunky  [descended  from 
Oppechankenough  a  former  Kmperor  of  Virginia]  was  intibduced, 
who  entered  the  chamber  with  a  comportment  graceful  to  admira- 
tion, bringing  on  her  right  hand  an  Englishman  interpreter  and  on 
the  left  her  son  a  strippling  twenty  years  of  age,-  she  hav-ikig  round 
her  head  a  plat  of  black  &  white  wampum  -  peaguef  three  inches 
broad  in  imitation  of  a  crown,  &  was  clotheredUii  a  mantle  of  dress' t 
deerskins  with  the  hair  outwards  &  the  edge  cut  round'  6' .inches; 
deep  which  made  strings  resemblitig  twisted'  friiige' £roni';thfifshoul* 
ders  to  the  feet ;  thus  with  grave  c©iurtilike;;gesti!tres; and  a  majest-ick' 
air  in  her  face,  she  walk'd  up  our  long-  room  tb' the  lower  endidf  the 
table,  where  after  a  few  entreaties  she  sat'down^;  th'  interpreter  and 
her  son  standing  by  her  on  either  side-  as -  they  had  walk'd  up,  our 
chairman  asked  her  what  men  she  would  lend  us  for  guides  in  the. 
.wilderness  and  assist  us  against  our  enemy  Indians,  she  spake,„tQ- 
th'  interpreter  to  inform  her  what  the  chairman  said,  [tho'  Wfe  be- 
lieve she  understood  him]  he  told  us  she  bid  him  as  hemsiMijtp 
whom  the  English  tongue  was  familiar,  &  who  was  reputed  jthj^isqn' 
of  an  English  colonel,  yet  neither  wou'd  he  speak  t(Dfioraesra)-to*?  tfns 
derstand  the  Chairman  but  th'  interpreter  told-  us  he  referred  ali'.ito?. 
his  mother,  who  being  againe  urged  she  after  a  little  musitfg  with 
an  earnest  passionate  countenance  as  if  tears  were  ready  to  gush  out 
and  a  fervent  sort  of  expression  made  a  harangue  about  a  quater  of 


INTRODUCTION. 


xxi 


an  hour,  often  interlacing  [v/ith  a  high  shrill  voice  and  vehement 
passion]  these  words  "  Tatapatomoi  Chepiack,  i.  e.  Tatapiimoi  dead  : 
Col  :  Hill  being  next  me,  shook  his  head,  I  ask'd  what  was  the  mat- 
ter, he  told  me  all  she  said  was  too  true  to  our  shame,  and  that  his 
father  was  generall  in  that  battle,  where  diverse  years  before  Tata- 
patamoi  her  husband  had  led  a  hundred  of  his  Indians  to  help  in  th' 
English  against  her  former  enemy  Indians,  and  was  there  slaine  with 
most  of  his  men  ;  for  which  no  compensation  [at  all]  had  been  to 
that  day  rendered  to  her  wherew^ith  she  now  upraided  us. 

Her  discourse  ending  and  our  morose  Chairman  not  advancing 
one  cold  word  towards  asswaging  the  anger  and  grief  of  her  speech 
and  demeanor  manifested  under  her  oppression,  nor  taking  au}^  no- 
tice of  all  she  had  said,  neither  considering  that  we  (then)  were  in 
our  great  exigencj'-,  supplicants  to  her  for  a  favor  of  the  same  kind 
as  the  former,  for  which  we  did  not  den}-  the  having  been  so  ingrate 
he  rudely  pushed  againe  the  same  question  ' '  what  Indians  will  yon 
now  contribute  &c?  of  this  disregard  she  signified  her  resentment  b}- 
a  distainful  aspect,  and  turning  her  head  half  aside,  sate  mute  till 
that  same  question  being  press' t  a  third  time,  she  not  turning  her 
face  to  the  board,  answered  with  a  low  slighting  voice  in  her  own 
language  "six,  but  being  further  importun'd  she  sitting  a  little  while 
sullen,  \#thout  uttering  a  word  between  said,  twelve,  tho  she  then 
had  a  hundred  and  fifty  Indian  men,  in  the  town,  and  so  she  rose  up 
and  gravely  walked  away,  as  not  pleased  with  her  treatment. 

Whilst  some  dais  past  in  settling  the  Quota's  of  men  and  arms 
and  ammunic'on  provisions  &c.  each  county  was  to  furnish  one 
morning  e^arl.y-ja  bruit  ran  about  the  town  Bacon  is  fled  Bacon  is  fled, 
whereupon;!  weut  straight  to  Mr.  Laurence,  who  (formierly)  was  of 
Oxford  university,  aJ3<i  for  wit  learning  and  sobriety  was  equall'd 
there  by  ifewi  and  whtJ  som^- years  before  [as  Col.  Lee  tho  one  of  the 
council!  god- a  iriend  of  the  Govern' rs  informed  me]  had  been  parti- 
ally treated  atilaw;  for  a  considerable  estate  on  behalf  of  a  corrupt 
fa^Yorite  ;  jwhich  Laurence. complaining  loudly  of,  the  Govern, r  bore 
him  a  grudge  and  now.  shaking  his  head,  said  **old  treacherous  vil- 
"  Jan,  and  that  hiS' house,  was  ge.archt  that  morning,  at  day  break, 
"ibjut  Bacon;was-  escaped  into  the  country,  having  intimation  that 
t'heiQoT^tli'jr&.generosity  in  pardoning  him  and  his  follovrers  and 
''restoring  him  ;tO: h^is  seat  ill  the.councill;  were  no  other  Jian  previ- 
* '  oils  vvheadleS:«to  artius(p'  hiin-&  his  adherentSr  &  to  circumvent  them 
* 'jbyj-'strfttagecft," forasmuch -as- the  taking: iMr.:  Bacon  again  into  the 
"•€x^fun^3i^^^ws^s•  first  to  ke^fep  him  out.  s^f  theiassembly,  and  in  the  next 
"uplace  the  .govern' r  kneW  the  cou!Qtr3^>,people  were  hastening  down 
'■"with  dreadful  threatenings  to  double  revenge  all  wrongs  shoul'd  be 
'•'rdoue  to  Mr.  Bacon  or  his  men,  or  w^hoever  shou'd  have  had  the 
"'le^st  hand  in  'em., 

And  so  much  w^as  true  that  this  Mr.  3'Oung  Nathaniel  Bacon 
[not  3"et  arrived  at  30  years]  had  a  nigh  relation  named  Colo.  Nath- 
aniel Bacon  of  long  standing  in  the  council  a  vQry  rich  politick  man, 


xxii 


INTRODUCTION. 


and  childleSvS,  designing  his  kinsman  for  his  heir,  who  [not  without 
much  paines]  had  prevailed  with  his  uneasy  cousin  to  deliver  the 
forementioned  written  recantation  at  the  bar,  having  compiled  it 
ready  to  his  hand  &  by  whose  means  it  'was  supposed  that  timely 
intimation  was  convey 'd  to  the  young  gentleman  to  flee  for  his  life, 
and  also  in  3.  or  four  dais  after  Mr.  Bacon  was  first  seiz'd  I  saw 
abundance  of  men  in  town  thither  from  the  heads  of  the  rivers,  who 
finding  him  restored  &  his  men  at  liberty,  return' d  home  satisfied  ; 
a  few  dais  after  which,  the  Govern 'r  seeing  all  quiet,  gave  out 
private  warrants  to  take  him  againe,  intending  as  was  thought  to 
raise  the  militia  and  so  to  dispose  things  as  to  prevent  his  friends 
from  gathering  any  more  into  a  like  numerous  body  and  coming  down 
a  second  time  to  save  him. 

In  three  or  ffour  dais  after  his  escape,  upon  news  that  Mr. 
Bacon  was  30  miles  up  the  river,  at  the  head  of  four  hundred  men, 
the  Govern' r  sent  to  the  parts  adjacent,  on  both  sides  James  river 
for  the  militia  and  all  the  men  that  could  be  gotten  to  come  and  de- 
fend the  town,  expres's  came  almost  hourly  of  th'  army's  approaches, 
whom  in  less  than  four  dais  after  the  first  account  of  'm  att  2,  of  the 
clock  entered  the  town,  without  being  withstood,  and  formed  a  body 
upon  a  green,  not  a  flight  shot  from  the  end  of  the  State  house  of 
horse  and  ffoot,  as  well  regular  as  veteran  troops,  who  ^rthwith 
possesst  themselves  of  all  the  avenues,  disarming  all  the  town  and 
coming  thither  in  boats  or  by  land. 

In  half  an  hour  after  this  the  drum  beat  for  the  house  to  meet, 
and  in  less  than  an  hour  more  Mr.  Bacon  came  with  a  file  of  ffusileers 
on  either  hand  near  the  corner  of  the  State-house  where  the  Gover- 
n'r,  and  councill  went  forth  to  him  ;  he  saw  from  the  window 
the  Govern' r  open  his  breast,  and  Bacon  strutting  betwixt  his  two 
files  of  men  with  his  left  arm  on  Kneebow  fligning  his  right  arm 
every  way  both  like  men  distracted  ;  and  if  in  this  moment  of  fury 
that  enraged  multitude  had  fain  upon  the  Govern' r  and  councill  we 
of  the  assembly  expected  the  same  imediate  fate,  I  stept  down  and 
amongst  the  crowd  of  Spectators  found  the  seamen  of  my  sloop,  who 
pray'd  me  not  to  stir  from  them,  when  in  two  minutes,  theGovern'r 
walk'd  towards  his  private  apartm'nt,  a  Coits  cast  distant  at  the 
other  end  of  the  State-house,  the  gentlemen  of  the  councill  following 
him,  &  after  them  walked  Mr.  Bacon  with  outraigous  postures  of  his 
head  arms  body  &  legs,  often  tossing  his  hands  from  his  sword  to 
his  hat  and  after  him  came  a  detachment  of  ffusileers  (musketts 
not  being  then  in  use)  who  with  their  cocks  bent  presented  their 
ffusils  at  a  window  of  the  assembly  chamber  filled  with  faces,  re- 
peating with  menacing  voices  "we  will  have  it,"  we  will  have  it," 
half  a  minute  when  as  one  of  our  house  a  person  known  to  many  of 
them,  shook  his  handkerchief  out  at  the  window,  "saying  you  shall 
have  it,  you  shall  have  it,"  3  or  4  times ;  at  these  words  they  sate 
down  their  fusils  unbent  their  locks  and  stood  still  untill  Bacon  com- 
ing back,  they  followed  him  to  their  main  body ;  in  this  hubub  a 


INTRODUCTION. 


xxiii 


sen^-ant  of  mine  got  so  nigh  as  to  hear  the  Govern' rs  words,  and  also 
followed  Mr.  Bacon,  and  heard  what  he  said,  who  came  &  told  me, 
that  when  the  Govern' r  opened  his  breast  he  said,  "  here  !  shoot  me, 
foregod  fair  mark,  shoot ;  often  rehearsing  the  same,  without  any 
other  words  ;  whereto  Mr.  Bacon  answered  No  may  it  please  yo'r 
"hon'r  we  will  not  hurt  a  hair  of  3^0' r  head,  nor  of  any  other 
"  mans,  we  come  for  a  Co'mission  to  save  our  lives  from  th'  Indians, 
which  you  have  so  often  promised,  and  now  we  will  have  it  before 
"we  go.,, 

But  when  Mr.  Bacon  followed  the  Govern' r  &  Councill  with  the 
forementioned  impetuous  (like  delirious)  actions  whil'st  that  party 
presented  their  ffusils  at  the  window  full  of  faces,  he  said  Dam  my 
**bloud  I'le  kill  Govern'r  Councill  assembly  &  all,  and  then  I' le 
"sheath  my  sword  in  my  own  hearts  bloud  ;"  and  afterwards  'twas 
said  Bacon  had  given  a  signal  to  his  men  who  presented  their  fusils 
at  those  gazing  out  of  the  window  that  if  he  should  draw  his  sword, 
they  were  on  sight  of  it  to  fire,  and  slay  us,  so  near  was  the  massacre 
of  us  all  that  very  minute,  had  Bacon  in  that  paroxism  of  phrentick 
fury  but  drawn  his  sword,  before  the  pacifick  handkercher  was 
shaken  out  at  the  window. 

In  an  hour  or  more  after  these  violent  concussions  Mi.  Bacon 
came  up  to  our  chamber  and  desired  a  co'mission  from  us  to  go 
against  the  Indians  ;  our  Speaker  sat  silent,  when  one  Mr.  Blayton 
a  neighbor  to  Mr.  Bacon  &  elected  with  him  a  member  of  assembly 
for  the  same  county  (who  therefore  durst  speak  to  him)  made  ans- 
wer, "  'twas  not  in  our  province,  or  power,  nor  of  any  other,  save 
the  king's  viceregent  our  Govern'r,  he  press' d  hard  nigh  half  an 
hours  harangue  on  the  preserving  our  lives  from  the  Indians,  in- 
specting the  publick  revenues,  the  exorbitant  taxes  and  redressing 
the  grievances  and  calamities  of  that  deplorable  country,  whereto 
having  no  other  answer  he  went  away  dissatisfied. 

Next  day  there  was  a  rumor  the  Govern'r  and  councill  had 
agreed  Mr.  Bacon  shou'd  have  a  co'mission  to  go  as  Generall  of  the 
fforces,  we  then  were  raising,  whereupon  I  being  a  member  of  Staf- 
ford, the  most  northern  frontier,  and  where  the  war  begun,  con- 
sidering that  Mr.  Bacon  dwelling  in  the  most  Southern  ffrontier, 
county,  might  the  less  regard  the  parts  I  represented  I  went  to  Coll: 
Cole  (an  active  member  of  the  councill)  desiring  his  advice,  if  ap- 
plicac'ons  to  Mr.  Bacon  on  the  subject  were  then  seasonable  and 
safe,  which  he  approving  and  earnestly  advising,  I  went  to  Mr. 
I<aurence  who  was  esteemed  Mr.  Bacon's  principal  consultant,  to 
whom  he  took  me  with  him,  and  there  left  me  where  I  was  enter- 
tained 2  or  3  hours  with  the  particular  relac'ons  of  diverse  before  re- 
cited transactions  ;  and  as  to  the  matter  I  speak  of,  he  told  me,  the 
Govern'r  had  indeed  promised  him  the  command  of  the  forces,  and 
if  his  hon'r  should  keep  his  word  (which  he  doubted)  he  assurod 
me  '  *  the  .like  care  should  be  taken  of  the  remotest  corners  in  the 
"  land,  as  of  his  own  dwelling-house,  and  pray'd  me  to  advise  him 


xxiv 


INTRODUCTION. 


'*  what  persons  in  those  parts  were  mo'st  fit  to  bear  commands."  I 
frankly  gave  him  my  opinion  that  the  most  satisfactor}-  gentlemen 
to  govern'r  &  people,  wou'd  be  co'mandersof  the  militia,  wherewith 
he  W' as  well  pleased,  and  himself  wrote  a  list  of  those  nominated. 

That  evening  I  made  known  what  had  passed  with  Mr.  Bacon 
to  my  colleague  Coll:  Mason  [whose  bottle  attendance  doubted  my 
task]  the  matter  he  liked  well,  but  questioned  the  Govern' s  appro- 
bation of  it. 

I  confess'd  the  case  required  sedate  thoughts,  reasoning,  that 
he  and  such  like  gentleman  must  either  co'mand  or  be  co'manded, 
and  if  on  their  denials  Mr.  Bacon  should  take  distaste,  and  be  con- 
strained to  appoint  co'manders  out  of  the  rabble,  the  Govern'r  him- 
self with  the  persons  &  estates  of  all  in  the  land  would  be  at  their 
dispose,  whereby  their  own  ruine  might  be  owing  to  themselves  ;  in 
this  he  agreed  &  said  "  If  the  Govern'r  would  give  his  own  c'mis- 
* '  sion  he  would  be  content  to  serve  under  general  Bacon  [as  now  he 
"began  to  be  intituled]  but  first  would  consult  other  gentlemen  in 
the  same  circumstances  ;  who  all  concurr'd  'twas  the  most  safe  bar- 
rier in  view  against  pernicious  designs,  if  such  should  be  put  in 
practice  ;  with  this  I  acquainted  Mr.  Laurence  who  went  [rejoicing] 
to  Mr.  Bacon  wuth  the  good  tidings,  that  the  militia  co'manders  were 
inclined  to  serve  under  him,  as  their  Generall,  in  case  the  Govern'r 
would  please  to  give  them  his  own  co' missions. 

Wee  of  the  house  proceeded  to  finish  the  bill  for  the  war,  which 
by  the  assent  of  the  Govern'r  and  councill  being  past  into -an- aict, 
the  Govern'r  sent  us  a  letter  directed  to  his  majesty,  wherein  w^ere 
these  words  I  have  above  30  years  governed  the  most  flourishing 
**countr3^  the  sun  ever  shone  over,  but  am  now*:  encajiipassed  with 
"rebellion  like  waters  in  every  respect  like  to  that  of  Massan^elliveq^- 
cept  their  leader,  and  of  like  import  was  the  substance  x>f  that'.'kttei:. 
But  we  did  not  believe  his  hon'r  sent  us  all  he  WTOte  his  maje^t5^  '-i 

Some  judicious  gentlem.an  of  our  house  likewise  penn-d  a'letter 
or  remonstrance  to  be  sent  his  Maj'tie,  setting>fbr  th.e'.gradati4>ftSiX)f 
these  erupc'.ons,  and  two  or  three  of  them  Avitb  Mr.  Mingo  our  t>lerk 
brought  it  to  me  to  compile  a  few  lines  for  the  cofnoltisi^n;  <i>f  it,  wh'ii2h 
I  did  [tho  not  without  regret  in  those  ■watcMull  tii?vesV-\i'heiif  ©v^y 
man  had  eyes  on  him,  but  what  I  wtote'W^iS'.  with  >dH  ig)b$sible-.ilfejfef:- 
rence  to  the  Govern'r  and  in  the  m^st  softf  t^rim  my/pfen  c<^a'd 
the  case  to  admit.  . f  •     '     to  :r;>  ':'l    c  '        -.d'*  >  ::>ilr 

Col.  Spencer  being  my  neighbor  &;intiniate:fnend^  ahd-bpre^a^ 
lent  member  in  the  council  I  pray'd  him  to  entreat  the'fGovegtn'if^we 
might  be  dissolved,  for  that  was  my  first  and  shoaild-  be'myr'Ms-t 
going  astray  from  my  wonted  sphere  of  merchandise  &  other  'my 
private  concernments  into  the  dark  and  slippery  meanders  of  court 
embarrassments,  he  told  me  the  Govern'r  had  not  [then]  determined 
his  intentions  but  he  would  move  his  hon'r  about  itt,  and  in  2  or  3 
days  we  were  dissolved,  which  I  was  most  heartily  glad  of,  because 
of  my  getting  loose  againe  from  being  hampered  amongst  those  per- 


INTRODUCTION. 


XXV 


nicious  entaiigleme'ts  in  the  labyrinths  &  snares  of  state  ambigui- 
ties, &  which  until  then  I  had  not  seen  the  practice  nor  the  dangers 
of,  for  it  was  oserv'd  that  severall  of  the  members  had  secret  badges 
of  distinction  fixt  upon  'em,  as  not  docill  enough  to  gallop  the  future 
races,  that  court  seem'd  disposed  to  lead  'em,  whose  maxims  I  had 
oft  times  heard  whisper'd  before,  and  then  found  confirm'd  by 
diverse  considerate  gentlem'n  viz't  "  that  the  wise  and  the  rich  were 
''prone  to  ffaction  &  sedition  but  fools  and  poor  were  easy  to  be 
governed. ' ' 

Many  members  being  met  one  evening  nigh  sunsett,  to  take  our 
leave  of  each  other,  in  order  next  day  to  return  homewards,  came 
Gen' 11  Bacon  with  his  handfuU  of  unfolded  papers  &  overlooking 
us,  round,  walking  in  the  room  said  "  which  of  these  Gentlem'n  shall 
I  interest  to  write  a  few  words  for  me,  where  every  one  looking 
aside  as  not  willing  to  meddle  ;  Mr.  Laurence  pointing  at  me  saying 
''that  gentleman  writes  very  well  which  I  endeavoring  to  excuse 
Mr.  Bacon  came  stooping  to  the  ground  and  said  "  pray  S'r  Do  me 
the  hon'r  write  a  line  for  me." 

This  surprising  accostm't  schockt  me  into  a  melancholy  con- 
sternation, dreading  upon  one  hand,  that  Stafford  county  would  feel 
the  smart  of  his  resentment,  if  I  should  refuse  him  whose  favor  I 
had  so  lately  sought  and  been  generously  promis'd  on  their  behalf  ; 
and  on  th'  other  hand  fearing  the  Govern' rs  displeasure  who  I  knew 
would  soon  hear  of  it ;  what  seem'd  most  prudent  of  this  hazardous 
dilemma  was  to  obviate  the  present  impending  peril ;  So  Mr.  Bacon 
made  me  sit  the  whole  night  by  him  filling  out  those  papers,  which 
I  then  saw  were  blank  co'missions  sign'd  by  the  Govern'r  inserting 
such  names  &  writing  other  matters  as  he  dictated,  which  I  took  to 
be  the  happy  effects  of  the  consult  before  mentioned,  with  the  com- 
'anders  of  the  militia  because  he  gave  me  the  names  of  very  few 
others  to  put  into  these  com'issions,  and  in  the  morning  he  left  me 
with  an  hours  work  or  more  to  finish,  when  came  to  me  Capt.  Carver, 
and  said  he  had  been  to  wait  on  the  Generall  for  a  co' mission,  and 
that  he  was  resolved  to  adventure  his  old  bones  against  the  Indian 
rogues  with  other  the  like  discourse,  and  at  length  told  me  that  I 

was  in  mighty  favor  and  he  was  bid  to  tell  me,  that  whatever 

I  desired  in  the  Generals  power,  was  at  my  service,  I  pray'd  him 
humbly  to  thank  his  hon'r  and  to  acquaint  him  I  had  no  other  boon 
to  crave,  than  the  promis'd  kindness  to  Stafford  county,  for  besides 
the  not  being  worthy,  I  never  had  been  conversant  in  military  mat- 
ters, and  also  having  lived  tenderly,  my  service  cou'd  be  of  no  bene- 
fit because  the  hardships  and  fatigues  of  a  wilderness  campaigne 
would  put  a  speedy  period  to  my  dais :  little  expecting  to  hear  of 
more  intestine  broiles,  I  went  home  to  Potomack,  where  reports  were 
afterwards  various ;  we  had  account  that  Generall  Bacon  was 
march 'd  with  a  thousand  men  into  the  fforest  to  seek  the  enemy  In- 
dians, and  in  a  few  dais  after  our  next  news  was,  that  the  Govern'r 
had  summoned  together  the  militia  of  Gloucester  &  Middlesex  coun- 


4 


xxvi 


INTRODUCTION. 


ties  to  the  number  of  twelve  hundred  men,  and  proposed  to  them  to 
follow  &  suppress  the  rebell  Bacon,  whereupon  arose  a  murmur- 
ing before  his  face  "  Bacon,  Bacon,  Bacon,  and  all  walked  out  of  the 
''field,  muttering  as  they  went  Bacon,  Bacon,  Bacon,  leaving  the 
Governor  and  those  that  came  with  him  to  themselves,  who  being 
thus  abandon'd  w^ifted  over  Chesepiacke  Bay  30  miles  to  Accomack 
where  are  two  counties  of  Virginia. 

Mr.  Bacon  hearing  of  this  came  back  part  of  the  w^ay  and  sent 
out  parties  of  horse  patrolling  through  every  county,  carrying  away 
prisoners  all  of  whom  he  distrusted  might  any  more  molest  his  Indian 
prosecuc'on  yet  giving  liberty  to  such  as  pledg'd  him  their  oaths  to 
return  home  and  live  quiet  ;  the  copies  or  contents  of  which  oaths  I 
never  saw%  but  heard  were  very  strict,  tho'  little  observed. 

About  this  time  was  a  spie  detected  pretending  himself  a  de- 
serter v^^ho  had  twice  or  thrice  come  and  gone  from  party  to  party 
and  was  b)^  council  of  war  sentenced  to  death,  after  which  Bacon 
declared  openly  to  him,  "  that  if  any  one  in  the  army  wou'd  speak  a 
"  word  to  save  him,  he  shou'd  not  suffer,"  which  no  man  appearins: 
to  do,  he  was  executed,  upon  this  manifestation  of  clemency  Bacon 
was  applauded  for  a  mercifull  man,  not  willing  to  spill  Christian 
bloud,nor  indeed  was  it  said, that  he  put  any  other  man  to  death  in  cold 
bloud,  or  plunder  any  house  ;  nigh  the  same  time  came  Maj'r  I^ang- 
ston  with  his  troop  of  horse  and  quartered  two  nights  at  my  house 
who  [after  high  compliments  from  the  General]  told  me  I  was  de- 
sired * '  to  accept  the  Lieutenancy  for  preserving  the  peace  in  the  5 
Northern  counties  betwixt  Potomack  and  Rappahannock  River,  I 
humbly  thank' d  his  hon'r  excusing  myself,  as  I  had  done  before  on 
that  invitation  of  the  like  nature  at  James  town,  but  did  hear  he  was 
mightil}^  offended  at  my  evasions  and  threatened  to  remember  me. 

The  Govern 'r  made  2d.  attempt  coming  over  from  Accomack 
with  what  men  he  could  procure  in  sloops  and  boats,  forty  miles  up 
the  river  to  James  town,  which  Bacon  hearing  of,  came  againe  down 
from  his  fForest  pursuit,  and  finding  a  bank  not  a  flight  shot  long, 
cast  up  thwart  the  neck  of  the  peninsular  there  in  James  town,  he 
stormed  it,  and  took  the  town,  in  whichattack  were  12.  men  slaine 
&  wounded  but  the  Govern' r  with  most  of  his  followers  fled  back, 
down  the  river  in  their  vessells. 

Here  resting  a  few  dais  they  concerted  the  burning  of  the  town, 
wherein  Mr.  Lawrence  and  Mr.  Drumond  owning  the  two  best 
houses  save  one,  sat  fire  each  to  his  own  house,  wdiich  example  the 
souldiers  following  laid  the  whole  towm  with  church  and  State  house 
in  ashes,  saying,  the  rogues  should  harbour  no  more  there. 

On  these  reiterated  molestac'ons  Bacon  calls  a  convention  at 
Midle  plantation  15.  miles  from  James  town  in  the  month  of  August 
1676,  where  an  oath  with  one  or  more  proclamations  were  formed, 
and  writts  by  him  issued  for  an  Assembly;  the  oaths  or  writts  I  never 
saw,  but  one  proclamation  com'anded  all  men  in  the  land  on  pain  of 
death  to  joine  him,  and  retire  into  the  wilderness  upon  arrival  of  the 


INTRODUCTION. 


xxvii 


forces  expected  from  England,  and  oppose  them  until  they  should 
propose  to  accept  to  treat  of  an  accom'odaticn,  which  we  who  lived 
comfortably  could  not  have  undergone,  so  as  the  whole  land  must 
have  become  an  Aceldama  if  gods  exceeding  merc\'  had  not  timely 
removed  him. 

During  these  tumults  in  Virginia  a  2d.  danger  m^enaced  Mary- 
land by  an  insurrection  in  that  province,  complaining  of  their  heavy 
taxes  &c  where  2  or  3  of  the  leading  malcontents  [men  otherwise  of 
laudable  characters]  were  put  to  death,  which  stifled  the  further 
spreading  of  the  flame.  Mr.  Bacon  [at  this  time]  press' t  the  best 
ship  in  James  river,  carrying  20  guns  and  putting  into  her  his  Lieu- 
tenant Generall  Mr.  Bland  [a  gentleman  newly  come  thither  from 
England  to  possess  the  estate  of  his  deceased  uncle  late  of  the  coun- 
cil] and  under  him  the  forementioned  Capt.  Carver,  formerly  a  com- 
'ander  of  Merch'ts  ships  with  men  &  all  necessaries,  he  sent  her  to 
ride  before  Accomack  to  curb  and  intercept  all  small  vessels  of  war 
com'ission'd  by  the  Govern'r  com'ng  often  over  and  making  depre- 
dations on  the  Western  shoar,  as  if  we  had  been  fforeign  enemies, 
which  gives  occasion  in  this  place  to  digress  a  few  words. 

Att  first  assembly  after  the  peace  came  a  message  to  them  from 
the  Govern'r  for  some  marks  of  distinction  to  be  set  on  his  loyal 
friends  of  Accomack,  who  received  him  in  his  adversity  which  v/hen 
came  to  be  consider 'd  Col:  Warner  [then  Speaker]  told  the  house 
"  Ye  know  that  what  mark  of  distinction  his  hon'r  coud  have  sett 
"on  those  of  Accomack  unlesse  to  give  them  ear  marks  or  burnt 
marks  for  robbing  and  ravishing  honest  people,  who  stay'd  at 
'*  home  and  preserv'd  the  estates  of  those  who  ran  away,  when  none 
"intended  to  hurt  'em." 

Now  returning  to  Capt.  Carver  the  Govern'r  sent  for  him  to 
come  on  shoar,  promising  his  peaceable  return  who  answer'd  he 
could  not  trust  his  word,  but  if  he  wou'd  send  his  hand  &  seal,  he 
wou'd  venture  to  wait  upon  his  hon'r  which  was  done,  and  Carver 
went  in  his  sloop  well  arm'd  &  man'd  with  the  most  trusty  of  his  men 
where  he  was  caress'd  with  wine  &c.  and  large  promises,  if  he  would 
forsake  Bacon,  resigne  his  ship  or  joine  with  him,  to  all  which  he 
answered  that  "  if  he  served  the  Devill  he  would  be  true  to  his  trust, 
"  but  that  he  was  resolved  to  go  home  and  live  quiet. 

In  the  mean  time  of  this  recepc'on  and  parley,  an  armed  boat 
was  prepared  with  many  oars  in  a  creek  not  far  off,  but  out  of  sight, 
which  when  Carver  sail'd,  row'd  out  of  the  creek,  and  it  being  al- 
most calm  the  boat  out  went  the  sloop  whilst  all  on  board  the  ship 
were  upon  the  deck  staring  at  both,  thinking  the  boats  company 
coming  on  board  by  Carvers  invitation  to  be  civilly  entertained  in 
requitall  for  the  kindness  they  supposed  he  had  received  on  shoar, 
untill  coming  under  the  stern,  those  in  the  boat  slipt  nimbly  in  at 
the  gun  room  ports  with  pistolls  &c.  when  one  courageous  gentle- 
man ran  up  to  the  deck,  &  clapt  a  pis  toll  to  Blands  breast,  saying 
you  are  my  prisoner,  the  boats  company  suddenly  following  with 


xxviii 


INTRODUCTION. 


pistoUs  swords  &c.  and  after  Capt.  lyorimore  (the  com'ander  of  the 
ship  before  she  was  presst)  having  from  the  highest  and  hindmost 
part  of  the  stern  interchang'd  a  signal  from  the  shoar,  by  flirting  his 
handkercher  about  his  nose,  his  own  former  crew  had  laid  hand- 
spikes ready,  which  they  [at  that  instant]  caught  up  &c.  so  as 
Bland  &  Carvers  men  were  amazed  and  yielded. 

Carver  seeing  a  hurly  burly  on  the  ships  deck,  would  have  gone 
away  with  his  sloop,  but  having  little  wind  &  the  ship  threat'ning 
to  sink  him,  he  tamely  came  on  board,  w^here  Bland  &  he  with  their 
party  were  laid  in  irons,  and  in  3.  or  4  dais  Carver  was  hanged  on 
shoar,  which  S'r  Henry  Chichelly  the  first  of  the  councill  then  a 
prisoner,  [with  diverse  other  gentlemen]  to  Mr.  Bacon,  did  after- 
wards exclaime  against  as  a  most  rash  and  wicked  act  of  the  Gover- 
n'r  he  in  particular  expected  to  have  been  treated  by  way  of  repri- 
zall,  as  Bacons  friend  Carver  had  been  by  theGovern'r.  Mr.  Bacon 
now  returns  from  his  last  expedic'on  sick  of  ffiux  ;  without  finding 
any  enemy  Indians,  having  not  gone  far  by  reason  of  the  vexations 
behind  him,  nor  had  he  one  dry  day  in  all  his  marches  to  and 
fro  in  the  fforest  whilst  the  planations  [not  50.  miles  distant]  had  a 
sum'er  so  dry  as  stinted  the  Indian  corn  and  tobacco  &c.  which  the 
people  ascribed  to  the  Pawawings  i.  e.  the  sorceries  of  the  Indians 
in  a  while  Bacon  dyes  &  was  succeeded  by  his  Lieuten't  Gen' 11  In- 
gram, who  had  one  Wakelet  next  in  com'and  under  him, whereupon 
hasten' d  over  the  Govern' r  to  York  river,  and  with  whom  they  arti- 
cled for  themselves,  and  whom  else  they  could,  so  all  submitted  and 
were  pardoned  exempting  those  nominated  and  otherwise  proscribed, 
in  a  proclamac'on  of  indemnity,  the  principall  of  whom  were  I^aur- 
ence  and  Dru'mond. 

Mr.  Bland  was  then  a  prisoner  having  been  taken  with  Carver, 
as  before  noted,  and  in  a  few  dais  Mr.  Drumond  was  brought  in, 
when  the  Govern' r  being  on  board  a  ship  came  im'ediately  on  shore 
and  complimented  him  with  the  ironical!  sarcasm  of  a  low  bend,  say- 
ing Mr.  Drummond  !  you  are  very  unwelcome,  I  am  more  glad  to 
"see  you,  than  any  man  in  Virginia,  Mr.  Drumond  you  shall  be 
"hang'd  in  half  an  hour;  who  answered  What  yo'r  hon'r  pleases, 
and  as  soon  as  a  council  of  war  cou'd  meet,  his  sentence  be  dis- 
patchat  &  a  gibbet  erected  [which  took  up  near  two  hours]  he  was 
executed. 

This  Mr.  Drumond  was  a  sober  Scotch  gentleman  of  good  re- 
pute with  whome  I  had  not  a  particular  acquaintance,  nor  do  I  know 
the  cause  of  that  rancour  his  hon'or  had  against  him  other  than  his 
pretensions  in  com'n  for  the  publick  but  meeting  him  by  accident 
the  morning  I  left  the  town,  I  ad  vis' d  him  to  be  very  wary,  for  he 
saw  the  Govern' r  had  put  a  brand  upon  him,  he  [gravely  expressing 
my  name]  answered  **I  am  in  over  shoes,  I  will  be  over  boots," 
which  I  was  sorry  to  heare  &  left  him. 

The  last  account  of  Mr.  Laurence  was  from  an  uppermost  plan- 
tation, where  he  and  four  others  desperado's  with  horses  pistolls  &c. 


INTRODUCTION. 


xxix 


niarch'd  away  in  a  snow  ancle  deep,  who  are  thought  to  have  cast 
themselves  into  a  branch  of  some  river,  rather  than  to  be  treated 
like  Drum'ond. 

Bacon's  body  was  so  made  way,  as  his  bones  were  never  found 
to  be  exposed  on  a  gibbet  as  was  purpos'd,  stones  being  laid  on  his 
coffin,  supposed  to.be  done  by  Laurence. 

Near  this  time  arrived  a  small  fleet  with  a  regiment  from  Eng- 
land S'r  John  Berry  Admirall,  Coll:  Herbert  Jefiferies  com'ander  of 
the  land  forces  and  Collo :  Morrison  who  had  one  year  been  a  former 
Govern' r  there,  all  three  joined  in  a  com'ission  with  or  to  S'r  Wil- 
liam Barclay,  soon  after  when  a  generall  court,  and  also  an  assem- 
bly were  held,  where  some  of  our  former  assembly  [with  so  many 
others]  were  put  to  death,  diverse  whereof  were  persons  of  honest 
reputation  and  handsome  estates,  as  that  the  Assembly  petitioned 
the  Govern' r  to  spill  no  more  bloud,  and  Mr.  Presley  at  his  coming 
home  told  me,  he  believed  the  Govern' or  would  have  hang' d  half  the 
country,  if  they  had  let  him  alone,  the  first  was  Mr.  Bland  whose 
friends  in  England  had  procured  his  pardon  to  be  sent  over  with  the 
ffleet,  which  he  pleaded  at  his  tryall,  was  in  the  Govern' rs  pocket 
[tho'  whether  'twas  so,  or  how  it  came  there,  I  know  not,  yet  did 
not  hear  'twas  openly  contradicted]  but  he  was  answered  by  Collo: 
Morrison  that  he  pleaded  his  pardon  at  swords  point,  which  was 
look'd  upon  an  odd  sort  of  reply,  and  he  was  executed  ;  [as  was 
talked]  by  private  instructions  from  England  the  Duke  of  York  hav- 
ing sworn  ' '  by  god  Bacon  &  Bland  should  dye. 

The  Govern' r  went  in  the  ffleet  to  London  [whether  by  com- 
'and  from  his  Majesty  or  spontaneous  I  did  not  hear]  leaving  Col. 
Jefferyes  in  his  place,  and  by  next  shipping  came  back  a  person  who 
waited  on  his  hon'r  in  his  voyage,  and  untill  his  death,  from  whom 
a  report  was  whisper' d  about  that  the  king  did  say  ''that  old 
**fool  had  hang'd  more  men  in  that  naked  country,  than  he  had 
done  for  the  murder  of  his  father,  whereof  the  Govern' r  hearing 
dyed  soon  after  without  having  seen  his  majesty  ;  which  shuts  up 
this  tragedy. 


APPENDIX. 

To  avoid  incumbering  the  body  of  the  foregoing  little  discourse, 
I  have  not  therein  mentioned  the  received  opinion  in  Virginia,  which 
very  much  attributed  the  promoting  these  perturbac'ons  of  Mr.  Laur- 
ence, &  Mr.  Bacon  with  his  other  adherents,  were  esteemed,  as  but 
wheels  agitated  by  the  weight  of  his  former  &  present  resentments, 
after  their  cholor  was  raised  up  to  a  very  high  pitch,  at  having  been 
[so  long  &  often]  trifled  with  in  their  humble  supplications  to  the 
Govern'or  for  his  im'ediate  taking  in  hand  the  most  speedy  meanes 
towards  stopping  the  continued  effusions  of  so  much  English  bloud, 


XXX 


INTRODUCTION. 


from  time  to  time  by  the  Indians,  whicli  com'on  sentim'ts  I  have  the 
more  reason  to  believe  were  not  altogether  groundless,  because  my 
self  have  heard  him  [in  his  familiar  discourse]  insinuated  as  if  his 
fancy  gave  him  prospect  of  finding  (at  one  time  or  other)  some  expedi- 
ent not  only  to  repair  his  great  losse,  but  wherewith  to  see  those 
abuses  rectified  that  the  country  was  oppressed  with  through  (as  he 
said)  the  forwardness  averice  &  french  despotick  methods  of  the 
Govern' r  &  likewise  I  know  him  to  be  a  thinking  man,  and  tho' 
nicely  honest,  affable,  &  without  blemish  ;  in  his  conversation  and 
dealings,  yet  he  did  manifest  abundance  of  uneasiness  in  the  sense 
of  his  hard  usages,  which  might  prompt  him  to  improve  that  Indian 
quarrel  to  the  service  of  his  animosities,  and  for  this  the  more 
fair  &  frequent  opportunites  offered  themselves  to  him  by  his  dwell- 
ing at  James  town,  v/here  was  the  concourse  from  all  parts  to  the 
Govern' r  and  besides  that  he  had  married  a  wealthy  widow  who  kept 
a  large  house  of  public  entertainm't  into  which  resorted  those  of 
the  best  quality  and  such  others  as  business  called  to  that  town,  and 
his  parts  with  his  even  temper  made  his  converse  coveted  by  per- 
sons of  all  ranks  ;  so  that  being  subtile,  and  having  these  advantages 
he  might  with  less  difficulty  discover  mens  inclinations,  and  instill 
his  notions  where  he  found  those  woud  be  imbib'd  with  greatest 
satisfaction. 

As  for  Mr.  Bacon  fame  did  not  lay  to  his  charge  the  having  run 
out  his  patrimony  in  England  except  what  he  brought  to  Virginia, 
and  for  that  the  most  part  to  be  exhausted,  which  together  made 
him  suspecting  of  casting  an  eye  to  search  for  retrievement  in  the 
troubled  waters  of  popular  discontents,  wanting  patience  to  wait  the 
death  of  his  opulent  cousin,  old  Collo:  Bacon,  whose  estate  he  ex- 
pected to  inherit. 

'But  he  was  too  young,  too  much  a  stranger  there,  and  of  a  dis- 
position too  precipitate,  to  manage  things  to  that  length  those  were 
carried,  had  not  thoughtfull  Mr.  Laurence  been  at  the  bottom. 


CHAPTER  I. 
INDIAN  WARS. 

From  the  best  evidence  the  author  has  been  able  to  obtain,  and 
to  this  end  he  has  devoted  much  time  and  research,  the  settlement 
of  our  fine  and  beautiful  valley  commenced  in  the  year  1732,  about 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  years  from  the  first  settlement  of  Vir- 
ginia. Before  going  into  a  detail  of  the  first  immigration  and 
improvement  of  the  Valley,  the  author  believes  it  will  not  be  unin- 
teresting to  the  general  reader,  to  have  a  brief  history  of  the  long 
and  bloody  wars  carried  on  between  contending  tribes  of  Indians. 
Tradition  relates  that  the  Delavv^are  and  Catawba  tribes  were  engaged 
in  war  at  the  time  the  Valle}^  was  first  known  by  the  white  people, 
and  that  the  war  was  continued  for  many  years  after  our  sectiop  of 
country  became  pretty  numerously  inhabited  by  the  white  settlers. 

I  shall  commence  with  a  narrative  of  Indian  battles  fought  on 
the  Cohongorution.  *  At  the  mouth  of  the  Antietam,  a  small  creek 
on  the  Maryland  side  of  the  River,  a  most  bloody  affair  took  place 
between  parties  of  the  Catawba  and  Delaware  tribes.  This  was 
probably  about  the  year  1736.    The  Delawares  had  penetrated  pretty 


*  Cohongoruton  is  the  ancient  Indian  name  of  the  Potomac  from  its 
junction  with  the  Shenandoah  to  the  Alleghany  Mountain .  Lord  Fairfax, 
in  his  grants  for  land  on  this  water  course,  designated  it  Potomac  ;  by  which 
means  it  gradually  lost  its  ancient  name,  and  now  is  generally  known  by  no 
other  name.  Maj.  H.  Bedinger  writes  the  name  of  this  River  Cohongoruta. 
It  is,  however,  written  in  the  act  laying  off  the  County  of  Frederick  in  1738, 
Cohongoruton. 


32 


INDIAN  WARS. 


far  to  the  south  committed  some  acts  of  outrage  on  the  Catawbas, 
and  on  their  retreat  were  overtaken  at  the  mouth  of  this  creek, when 
a  desperate  conflict  ensued.  Every  man  of  the  Delaware  party  were 
put  to  death,  with  the  exception  of  one  who  escaped  after  the  battle 
was  over,  and  every  Cataw^ba  held  up  a  scalp  but  one.  This  was  a 
disgrace  not  to  be  borne  ;  and  he  instantly  gave  chase  to  the  fugitive, 
overtook  him  at  the  Susquehanna  River,  (a  distance  little  short 
of  one  hundred  miles),  killed  and  scalped  him,  and  returning 
showed  his  scalp  to  several  white  people,  and  exulted  in  what  he 
had  done.  * 

Another  most  bloody  battle  was  fought  at  the  mouth  of  Cono- 
cocheague,  f  on  Friend's  land,  in  which  but  one  Delaware  escaped 
death,  and  he  ran  in  to  Friend's  house,  when  the  family  shut  the 
door,  and  kept  the  Catawbas  out,  by  which  means  the  poor  fugitive 
was  saved.  X 

There  is  also  a  tradition,  and  there  are  evident  signs  of  the  fact,  of 
another  furious  battle  fought  at  what  is  called  the  Slim  Bottom  on 
Wappatomaka,  §  (the  ancient  Indian  name  of  the  Great  South 
Branch  of  the  Potomac),  about  one  and-a-half  miles  from  its  mouth. 
At  this  place  there  are  several  large  Indian  graves,  near  what  is 
called  the  Painted  Rock.  On  this  Rock  is  exhibited  the  shape  of  a 
man  with  a  large  blotch,  intended,  probably,  to  represent  a  man 
bleeding  to  death.  The  stain,  it  appeared  to  the  author,  was  made 
with  human  blood.  The  top  of  the  rock  projects  over  the  painted 
part  so  as  to  protect  it  from  the  washings  of  the  rain,  and  is  on  the 
east  side  of  the  rock.  How  long  the  stain  of  human  blood  would 
remain  visible  in  a  position  like  this,  the  author  cannot  pretend  to 
express  an  opinion  ;  but  he  well  recollects  the  late  Gen.  Isaac  Zane 
informed  me  that  the  Indians  beat  out  the  brains  of  an  infant  (near 
his  old  iron  works)  against  a  rock,  and  the  stain  of  the  blood  was 
plainly  to  be  seen  about  forty  years  afterwards.  In  this  battle  it 
is  said  but  one  Delaware  escaped,  and  he  did  so  by  leaping  into  the 
river,  diving  under  water,  continuing  to  swim  until  he  crossed  the 
Cohongorution.  || 

A  great  battle  between  these  hostile  tribes,  it  is  said,  was  fought 
at  what  is  called  the  Hanging  Rocks,  on  the  Wappatomaka,  in  the 

*  This  tradition  was  related  to  the  author  by  Capt.  James  Glenn,  of  Jef- 
ferson county,  now  upwards  of  73  years  of  age,  and  confirmed  by  the  venera- 
ble John  Tomlinson,  near  Cumberland,  Maryland,  now  92  years  old. 

f  Mr.  Tomlinson  is  of  opinion  this  affair  took  place  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Opequon. 

X  Capt.  James  Glenn,  confirmed  by  Mr.  Tomlinson,  except  as  to  the 
place  of  battle. 

§  The  name  of  this  water  course  in  Lord  Fairfax's  ancient  grants  is 
written  Wappatomac  ;  but  Mr.  Heath  and  Mr.  Blue  both  stated  that  the 
proper  name  was  Wappatomaka. 

I  Capt.  James  Glenn,  confirmed  by  Mr.  Garrett  Blue,  of  Hampshire.  In- 
deed, this  tradition  is  familiar  to  most  of  the  elderly  citizens  on  the  South 
Branch,  as  also  the  battle  of  Hanging  Rocks. 


INDIAN  WARS. 


33 


county  of  Hampshire,  where  the  river  passes  through  the  moun- 
tain. *  A  pretty  large  party  of  the  Delawares  had  invaded  the  ter- 
ritory of  the  Catawbas,  taken  several  prisoners,  and  commenced 
their  retreat  homewards.  When  they  reached  this  place,  they  made 
a  halt,  and  a  number  of  them  commenced  fishing.  The  Cataw^ba 
enemies,  close  in  pursuit,  discovered  them,  and  threw  a  party  of 
men  across  the  river,  with  another  in  their  front.  Thus  enclosed, 
with  the  rock  on  one  side,  a  party  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river, 
another  in  their  front,  and  another  in  their  rear,  a  most  furious  and 
bloody  onset  was  made,  and  it  is  believed  that  several  hundred  of  the 
Delawares  were  slaughtered.  Indeed,  the  signs  now  to  be  seen  at 
this  place  exhibit  striking  evidences  of  the  fact.  There  is  a  row  of 
Indian  graves  between  the  rock  and  public  road,  along  the  margin 
of  the  river,  from  sixty  to  seventy  yards  in  length.  It  is  believed 
that  but  very  few  of  the  Delawares  escaped. 

There  are  also  signs  of  a  bloody  battle  having  been  fought  at  the 
forks  of  the  V/appatomaka ;  but  of  this  battle,  if  it  ever  occurred, 
the  author  could  obtain  no  traditional  account. 

Tradition  also  relates  that  the  Southern  Indians  exterminated  a 
tribe,  called  theSenedos,  on  the  North  Fork  of  the  Shenandoah  River, 
at  present  the  residence  of  William  Steenbergen,  Esq.,  in  the  county 
of  Shenandoah.  About  the  year  1734,  Benjamin  Allen,  Rile}^  Moore, 
and  William  White,  settled  in  this  neighborhood.  Benjamin  Allen 
settled  on  the  beautiful  estate  called  Allen's  Bottom.  An  aged  In- 
dian frequently  visited  him,  and  on  one  occasion  informed  him  that 
the  ' '  Southern  Indians  killed  his  whole  nation  with  the  exception  of 
himself  and  one  other  youth  ;  that  this  bloody  slaughter  took  place 
when  he,  the  Indian,  was  a  small  boy."  f  From  this  tradition,  it  is 
probable  this  horrid  affair  took  place  some  time  shortly  after  the 
middle  of  the  seventeeth  century.  Maj.  Andrew  Kej^ser  also  in- 
formed the  author  that  an  Indian  once  called  at  his  father's,  in  Lan- 
caster county,  Pennsylvania,  appeared  to  be  much  agitated,  and 
asked  for  something  to  eat.  After  refreshing  himself,  he  was  asked 
what  disturbed  him.  He  replied,  *  *  The  Southern  Indians  have 
killed  my  whole  nation." 

There  are  also  evident  signs  of  the  truth  of  this  tradition  yet  to 
be  seen.  On  Mr.  Steenbergen' s  land  are  the  remains  of  an  Indian 
mound,  though  it  is  now  plowed  down.  The  ancient  settlers  in  the 
neighborhood  differ  in  their  opinion  as  to  its  original  height.  When 
they  first  saw  it,  some  say  it  was  eighteen  or  twenty  feet  high,  others 
that  it  did  not  exceed  twelve  or  fourteen,  and  that  it  was  from  fifty 
to  sixty  yards  in  circumference  at  the  base.  This  mound  was  liter- 
ally filled  with  human  skeletons ;  and  it  highly  probable  that  this 

*  As  the  author  expects  to  give  a  detailed  description  of  this  extraordi- 
nary place,  in  his  chapter  of  natural  curiosities,  he  will  barely  mention  the 
fact,  that  this  rock,  on  one  side  of  the  river,  is  a  perpendicular  wall  of  several 
hundred  feet  high,  and  several  hundred  yards  in  length. 

f  Mr.  Israel  Allen  related  this  tradition  to  the  author. 
5 


34 


INDIAN  WARS. 


was  the  depository  of  the  dead  after  the  great  massacre  which  took 
place  as  just  related. 

This  brief  account  of  Indian  battles  contains  all  the  traditionary 
information  the  author  has  been  able  to  collect,  with  one  exception, 
which  will  be  noticed  in  the  next  chapter.  There  is,  however,  a 
tradition,  that  on  one  particular  occasion,  a  party  of  thirty  Delaware 
Indians,  having  penetrated  far  to  the  South,  surprised  a  party  of 
Catawbas,  killed  several,  and  took  a  prisoner.  The  party  of  Dela- 
w^ares,  on  their  return,  called  at  Mr.  Joseph  Perrill's,  near  Winchester, 
and  exulted  much  at  their  success.  The  next  day  a  party  of  ten  Ca- 
tawbas called  at  Mr.  Perrill's  in  pursuit.  They  enquired  when  their 
enemy  had  passed.  Being  informed,  they  pushed  off  at  a  brisk  step, 
overtook  the  thirty  Delawares  at  the  Cohongoruton,  (Potomac), 
killed  every  man,  recovered  their  prisoner,  called  at  Mr.  Perrill's  on 
their  return,  and  told  what  they  had  done.  *  But  it  is  probable  this 
is  the  same  affair  which  took  place  at  the  mouth  of  the  Antietam, 
though  it  is  possible  that  it  may  be  a  different  one.  Mr.  Tomlinson 
is  under  the  impression  that  there  was  an  Indian  battle  fought  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Opequon. 

The  author  has  seen  and  conversed  with  several  aged  and  re- 
spectable individuals,  who  well  recollect  seeing  numerous  war  parties 
of  the  Northern  and  Southern  Indians,  passing  and  repassing 
through  the  Valley.  Several  warrior  paths  have  been  pointed  out 
to  him.  One  of  them  led  from  the  Cohongoruton,  (Potomac),  and 
passed  a  little  west  of  Winchester  southwardly.  This  path  forked  a 
few  miles  north  of  Winchester,  and  one  branch  of  it  diverged  more 
to  the  east,  crossed  the  Opequon,  very  near  Mr.  Carter's  paper  mill, 
on  the  Creek,  and  led  on  toward  the  Forks  of  the  Shenandoah  River. 
Another  crossed  the  North  Mountain  and  the  Valley  a  few  miles  above 
the  Narrow  Passage,  thence  over  the  Fort  Mountain  to  the  South 
River  Valley.  Another  crossed  the  Cumberland,  in  Maryland,  and 
proceeded  up  the  Wappatomaka  or  Great  South  Branch  Valley,  in 
the  counties  of  Hampshire  and  Hardy. 

An  aged  and  respectable  old  lady  on  Apple-pie  Ridge,  informed 
the  author  that  he  had  frequently  heard  her  mother  speak  of  a  party 
of  Delaware  Indians  once  stopping  at  her  father's,  where  they  stayed 
all  night.  They  had  in  custody  a  young  female  Catawba  prisoner, 
who  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  females  she  had  ever  seen.  Maj. 
R.  D.  Glass  also  informed  the  author  that  his  father,  who  resided  at 
the  head  of  the  Opequon,  stated  the  same  fact.  It  was  remarkable 
to  see  with  what  resignation  this  unfortunate  young  prisoner  sub- 
mitted to  her  fate.  Her  unfeeling  tormentors  would  tie  her,  and 
compel  her  at  night  to  lay  on  her  back,  with  the  cords  distended 
from  her  hands  and  feet,  and  tied  to  branches  or  what  else  they  could 
get  at  to  make  her  secure,  while  a  man  lay  on  each  side  of  her  with  the 
cords  passing  under  their  bodies. 


*  Gen.  John  Smith  communicated  this  tradition  to  the  author. 


INDIAN  WARS. 


35 


Mr.  John  Tomlinson  also  informed  the  author,  that  when  about 
seven  or  eight  years  of  age,  he  saw  a  party  of  Delawares  pass  his 
father's  house,  with  a  female  Catawba  prisoner,  who  had  an  infant 
child  in  her  arms  ;  and  that  it  was  said  they  intended  to  sacrifice  her 
when  they  reached  their  town.  ^ 

Tomlinson  also  relates  a  very  remarkable  instance  of  the  sacrifice 
of  a  female  Catawba  prisoner  by  the  Delawares.  A  party  of  Dela- 
wares crossed  the  Potomac  near  Oldtown,  in  Maryland,  a  short 
distance  from  which  they  cruelly  murdered  their  prisoner  ;  they  then 
moved  on.  The  next  day  several  of  them  returned,  and  cut  off  the 
soles  of  her  feet,  in  order  to  prevent  her  from  pursuing  and  haunt- 
ing them  in  their  march,  f 

Capt.  Glenn  informed  the  author  that  a  Mrs.  Mary  Friend, who 
resided  on  or  near  the  Potomac,  stated  to  him  that  she  once  saw^  a 
body  of  four  or  five  hundred  Catawba  Indians  on  their  march  to 
invade  the  Delawares ;  but  from  some  cause  they  became  alarmed, 
and  returned  without  success. 

The  same  gentleman  stated  to  the  author  that  a  Mr.  James  Hen- 
dricks informed  him  that  the  last  sacrifice  made  by  the  Delawares, 
of  their  Catawba  prisoners,  was  at  the  first  run  or  stream  of  water  on 
the  south  side  of  Lancaster,  Penns3'lvania.  Here  several  prisoners 
were  tortured  to  death  with  all  the  wonton  barbarity  and  cruelty 
peculiarly  to  the  savage  character.  Mr.  Hendricks  was  an  eye  wit- 
ness to  this  scene  of  horror.  During  the  protracted  and  cruel  suffer- 
ings of  these  unhappy  victims,  they  tantalized  and  used  the  most 
insulting  language  to  their  tormentors,  threatening  them  with  the 
terrible  vengeance  of  their  nation  as  long  as  the}'  could  speak. 

This  bloody  tragedy  soon  reached  the  ears  of  the  Governor  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  he  forthwith  issued  his  proclamation  command- 
ing and  requiring  all  the  authorities,  both  civil  and  military,  to 
interpose,  and  prohibit  a  repetition  of  such  acts  of  barbarity  and 
cruelty. 

The  author  will  now  conclude  this  narrative  of  Indian  wars, 
with  a  few  general  reflections. 

It  is  the  opinion  of  some  philosophers,  that  it  is  inherent  in  the 
nature  of  man  to  fight.  The  correctness  of  this  opinion  Mr.  Jeffer- 
son seems  to  doubt,  and  suggests  that  it  grows  out  of  the  abuse  and 
not  the  natural  state  of  man."  But  it  really  appears  there  are  strong 
reasons  to  believe  that  there  does  exist  ' '  a  natural  state  of  hostility  of 
man  against  man."  Upon  what  other  principle  can  w^e  account  for 
the  long  and  furious  wars  which  have  been  carried  on,  at  different 
periods,  among  the  aboriginals  of  our  country"  ? 


*Mr.  Tolinson's  father  then  resided  about  seven  miles  below  the 
mouth  of  Conococheague  on  or  near  the  Potomac,  on  the  Maryland  side. 

f  Mr.  G.  Blue,  of  Hampshire,  stated  this  tradition  to  the  author. 


36 


INDIAN  WARS. 


At  an  immense  distance  apart,  *  probably  little  less  than  six  or 
seven  hundred  miles,  without  trade,  commerce,  or  clash  of  inter- 
ests, without  those  causes  of  irritation  common  among  civilized 
states,  we  find  these  two  nations  for  a  long  series  of  years  engaged 
in  the  most  implacable  and  destructive  wars.  Upon  what  other 
principle  to  account  for  this  state  of  things,  than  that  laid  down,  is 
a  subject  for  which  the  author  cannot  pretend  to  explain.  It,  how- 
ever, affords  matter  of  curious  speculation  and  interesting  reflection 
to  the  inquiring  mind.  That  nations  are  frequently  urged  to  war 
and  devestation  by  the  restless  and  turbulent  disposition  so  common 
to  mankind,  particularly  among  their  leaders,  is  a  question  of  little 
doubt.  The  glory  and  renown  (falsely  so  termed)  of  great  achieve- 
ments in  war,  is  probably  one  principal  cause  of  the  wars  frequently 
carried  on  by  people  in  a  state  of  nature. 

*  The  Catawba  tribes  reside  on  the  river  of  that  name  in  South  Carolina. 
They  were  a  powerful  and  warHke  nation,  but  are  now  reduced  to  less  than 
two  hundred  souls.  The  Delawares  resided  at  that  period  on  the  Susque- 
hanna River,  in  Pennsylvania,  and  are  now  far  west  of  the  Alleghany 
Mountains. 


INDIAN  SETTLEMENTS. 


37 


CHAPTER  II. 

INDIAN  SKTTI.KMKNTS. 

The  author  deems  it  unnecessary  to  give  a  detailed  account  of 
all  the  particular  places  which  exhibit  signs  of  the  ancient  residences 
of  Indians,  but  considers  it  sufficient  to  say  that  all  our  water 
courses,  evidences  of  their  dwellings  are  yet  to  be  seen.  The  two 
great  branches  of  the  Shenandoah,  and  the  South  Branch  of  the 
Potomac,  appear  to  have  been  their  favorite  places  of  residence. 
There  are  more  numerous  signs  of  their  villages  to  be  seen  on  these 
water  courses,  than  in  any  other  part  of  our  Valley. 

On  the  banks  of  the  Cohongoruton,  (Potomac),  there  has 
doubtless  been  a  pretty  considerable  settlement.  The  late  Col. 
Joseph  Swearengen's  dwelling  house  stands  within  a  circular  wall  or 
moat.  *  When  first  known  by  the  white  inhabitants,  the  wall  was 
about  eighteen  inches  high,  and  the  ditch  about  two  feet  deep. 
This  circular  wall  was  made  of  earth,  is  now  considerable  reduced, 
but  yet  plainly  to  be  seen.  It  is  not  more  than  half  a  mile  from 
Shepherdsto  wn . 

For  what  particular  purpose  this  wall  w^as  thrown  up,  whether 
for  ornament  or  defense,  the  author  cannot  pretend  to  form  an  opin- 
ion. If  it  was  intended  for  defense,  it  appears  to  have  been  too  low 
to  answer  any  valuable  purpose  in  that  way. 

On  the  Wappatomaka,  a  few  miles  below  the  Forks,  tradition 
relates  that  there  was  a  very  considerable  Indian  settlement.  On 
the  farm  of  Isaac  Vanmeter,  Esq. ,  on  this  water  course,  in  the  Coun- 
ty of  Hardy,  when  the  country  was  first  discovered,  there  was  con- 
siderable openings  of  the  land,  or  natural  prairies,  which  are  called 
* '  the  Indian  old  fields ' '  to  this  day.  Numerous  Indian  graves  are  to 
be  seen  in  the  neighborhood.  A  little  above  the  Forks  of  the  River 
a  very  large  Indian  grave  is  now  to  be  seen,  f  In  the  bank  of  the 
River,  a  little  below  the  Forks,  numerous  human  skeletons  have  been 
discovered,  and  several  articles  of  curious  workmanship.  A  highly 
finished  pipe,  representing  a  snake  coiled  round  the  bowl,  with  the 
head  projected  above  the  bowl,  was  among  them.  There  was  the 
under  jaw  bone  of  a  human  being  of  great  size  found  at  the  same 
place,  which  contained  eight  jaw  teeth,  in  each  side,  of  enormous  size; 

*  Maj.  Henry  Bedinger  informed  the  author  that  at  his  first  recollection 
of  this  place,  the  wall  or  moat  was  about  eighteen  inches  high,  and  the  ditch 
around  it  about  two  feet  deep.  The  wall  was  raised  on  the  outside  of  the 
ditch,  and  carefully  thrown  up. 

f  William  Seymour,  Esq.,  related  this  fact  to  the  author. 


38 


INDIAN  SETTlvEMENTS. 


and  what  is  more  remarkable,  the  teeth  stands  transversely  in  the 
jaw  bone.  It  would  pass  over  any  common  man's  face  with  entire 
ease.  * 

There  are  many  other  signs  of  Indian  settlements  all  along  this 
River,  both  above  and  below  the  one  just  described.  Mr.  Garrett 
Blue,  of  the  County  of  Hampshire,  informed  the  author,  that  about 
two  miles  below  the  Hanging  Rocks,  in  the  banks  of  the  River,  a 
stratum  of  ashes,  about  one  rod  in  length,  was  some  years  ago  dis- 
covered. At  this  place  are  signs  of  an  Indian  village,  and  their  old 
fields.  The  Rev.  John  J.  Jacobs,  of  Hampshire,  informed  the  author 
that  Mr.  Daniel  Cresap's  land  on  the  North  Branch  of  the  Potomac, 
a  few  miles  above  Cumberland,  a  human  skeleton  was  discovered, 
which  had  been  covered  with  a  coat  of  wood  ashes,  about  two  feet 
below  the  surface  of  the  ground.  An  entire  decomposition  of  the 
skeleton  had  taken  place,  with  the  exception  of  the  teeth,  they  were 
in  a  perfect  state  of  preservation. 

On  the  two  great  branches  of  the  Shenandoah  there  are  now  to 
be  seen  numerous  sites  of  their  ancient  villages,  several  of  w^hich  are 
so  remarkable  that  they  deserve  a  passing  notice.  It  has  been  no- 
ticed, in  my  preceding  chapter,  that  on  Mr.  Steenbergen's  land,  on 
the  North  Fork  of  the  Shenandoah,  the  remains  of  a  large  Indian 
mound  are  plainly  to  be  seen.  It  is  also  suggested  that  this  was  once 
the  residence  of  the  Senedo  tribe,  and  that  that  tribe  had  been  exter- 
minated by  the  Southern  Indians.  Exclusively  of  this  large  mound, f 
there  are  several  other  Indian  graves.  About  this  place  many  of 
their  implements  and  domestic  utensils  have  been  found.  A  short 
distance  below  the  mouth  of  Stony  Creek,  (a  branch  of  the  Shen- 
andoah), within  four  or  five  miles  of  Woodstock,  are  the  signs  of  an 
Indian  village.  At  this  place  a  gun  barrel,  with  several  iron  toma- 
hawks, were  found  long  after  the  Indians  left  the  county,  X 

On  Mr.  Anthony  Kline's  farm,  within  about  three  miles  of 
Stephensburg,  in  the  County  of  Frederick,  in  a  glen  near  his  mill,  a 
rifle  was  found,  which  had  laid  in  the  ground  forty  or  fifty  years. 
Every  part  of  this  gun,  (even  the  stock,  which  was  made  of  black 
walnut),  was  sound.  Mr.  Kline's  father  took  the  barrel  from  the 
stock,  placed  the  britch  on  the  fire,  and  it  soon  discharged  with  a 
loud  explosion.  § 

*  William  Heath,  Esq  ,  in  the  County  of  Hardy  stated  this  fact  to  the 
author,  and  that  he  had  repeatedly  seen  the  remarkable  jaw  bone. 

f  Mr.  Steenberger  informed  the  author,  that  upon  looking  into  this 
mound,  it  was  discovered  that  at  the  head  of  each  skeleton  a  stone  was  de- 
posited ;  that  these  stones  are  of  various  sizes,  supposed  to  indicate  the  size 
of  the  body  buried. 

X  Mr.  George  Grandstaff  stated  this  to  the  author.  Mr.  G.  is  an  aged  and 
respected  citizen  of  Shenandoah  county. 

§  Mr.  Anthony  Kline  related  this  occurrence  to  the  author.  No  man  who 
is  acquainted  with  Mr.  Kline,  will  for  one  moment  doubt  his  assertions. 
This  rifle  was  of  a  very  large  calibre,  and  was  covered  several  feet  below  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  and  doubtless  left  there  by  an  Indian. 


INDIAN  SETTI.EMENTS. 


39 


In  tlie  County  of  Page,  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Shenandoah 
River,  there  are  several  Indian  burjnng  grounds  and  signs  of  their 
villages.  These  signs  are  also  to  be  seen  on  the  Hawksbill  Creek. 
A  few  miles  above  Luray,  on  the  west  side  of  the  River,  there  are 
three  large  Indian  graves,  ranged  nearly  side  b\^  side,  thirty  or  forty 
feet  in  length,  twelve  or  fourteen  feet  wide,  and  five  or  six  feet  high. 
Around  them,  in  circular  form,  are  a  number  of  single  graves.  The 
whole  cover  an  area  of  a  little  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  acre.  They 
present  to  the  eye  a  very  ancient  appearance,  and  are  covered  with 
pine  and  other  forest  growth.  The  excavation  of  the  ground  around 
them  is  plainly  to  be  seen.  The  three  first  mentioned  graves  are  in 
oblong  form,  probably  containing  man}'  hundreds  of  human  bodies, 
and  were  doubtless  the  work  of  ages.  ^ 

On  the  land  of  Mr.  Noah  Keyser,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Hawks- 
bill  Creek,  stands  the  remains  of  a  large  mound.  This  like  that  of 
Mr.  Steenbergen's,  is  considerabl}'  reduced  by  plowing,  but  is  yet 
some  twelve  or  fourteen  feet  high,  and  is  upwards  of  sixty  yards 
round  at  the  base.  It  is  found  to  be  literally  filled  with  human 
skeletons,  and  at  every  fresh  plowing  a  fresh  layer  of  bones  are 
brought  to  the  surface.  The  bones  are  found  to  be  in  a  calcarious 
state,  with  the  exception  of  the  teeth,  which  are  generally  sound. 
Several  unusually  large  skeletons  have  been  discovered  in  this  grave. 
On  the  lands  now  the  residence  of  my  venerable  friend,  John  Gate- 
wood.  Esq.,  the  signs  of  an  Indian  village  are  yet  plainly  to  be  seen. 
There  are  numerous  fragments  of  their  pots,  cups,  arrow  points,  and 
other  implements  for  domestic  use,  found  from  time  to  time.  Con- 
venient to  this  village  there  are  several  pretty  large  graves. 

There  is  also  evidence  of  an  Indian  town  in  Powell's  Fort,  on 
the  lands  now  owned  by  Mr.  Daniel  Munch.  From  appearance,  this 
too  was  a  pretty  considerable  village.  A  little  above  the  forks  of  the 
Shenandoah,  on  the  east  side  of  the  South  Fork,  are  the  appear- 
ances of  another  settlement,  exhibiting  the  remains  of  two  consider- 
ble  mounds  now  entirely  reduced  by  plowing.  About  this  place 
many  pipes,  tomahawks,  axes,  homminy  pestles,  &c.,  have  been 
found.  Some  four  or  five  miles  below  the  Forks  of  the  River,  on  the 
southeast  side,  on  the  land  now  owned  by  Capt.  Daniel  Oliver,  is 
the  site  of  another  Indian  village.  At  this  place  a  considerable 
variety  of  articles  have  been  plowed  up.  Among  the  number  were 
several  whole  pots,  cups,  pipes,  axes,  tomahawks,  homminy  pestles, 
&c.  A  beautiful  pipe,  of  high  finish,  made  of  white  flint  stone,  and 
several  other  articles  of  curious  workmanship,  all  of  very  hard  stone, 
have  been  found.  Their  cups  and  pots  were  made  of  a  mixture  of 
clay  and  shell,  of  rude  workmanship,  but  of  firm  texture. 

There  are  many  other  places  on  all  our  water  courses,  to- wit : 
Stony  Creek,  Cedar  Creek,  and  Opequon,  as  well  as  the  larger  water 
courses,  which  exhibit  evidence  of  ancient  Indian  settlements.  The 

*  These  graves  are  on  the  land,  now  the  residence  of  the  widow  Long, 
and  appears  never  to  have  been  disturbed. 


40 


INDIAN  SETTLEMENTS. 


Shawnee  tribes,  it  is  well  known  were  settled  about  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Winchester.  What  are  called  the  "  Shawnee  cabins,"  and 
"  Shawnee  Springs, "  immediately  adjoining  the  town,  are  well 
known.  It  is  also  equally  certain,  that  this  tribe  had  a  considerable 
village  on  Babb's  Marsh,  some  three  or  four  miles  northwest  of 
Winchester.  * 

The  Tuscarora  Indians  resided  in  the  neighborhood  of  Mar- 
tinsburg,  in  the  Count}^  of  Berkeley,  f  on  the  Tuscarora  Creek.  On 
the  fine  farm,  now  owned  by  and  the  residence  of  Matthev/  Ransom, 
Esq.,  (the  former  residence  of  Mr.  Benjamin  Beeson),  are  the  re- 
mains of  several  Indian  graves.  These,  like  several  others,  are  now 
plowed  down ;  but  numerous  fragments  of  human  bones  are  to  be 
found  mixed  with  the  clay  on  the  surface.  Mr.  Ransom  informed 
the  author,  that  at  this  place,  the  under  jaw  bone  of  a  human  being 
was  plowed  up,  of  enormous  size  ;  the  teeth  were  found  in  a  perfect 
state  of  preservation. 

Near  the  Shenandoah  Springs,  on  the  lands  of  Mr.  Fairfax,  an 
Indian  grave,  some  years  since  was  opened,  in  which  a  skeleton  of 
unusual  size  was  discovered.  X 

Mr.  E.  Paget  informed  the  author,  that  on  Flint  Run,  a  small 
rivulet  of  the  South  River,  in  the  County  of  Shenandoah,  a  skeleton 
was  found  by  his  father,  the  thigh  bone  of  which  measured  three 
feet  in  length,  and  the  under  jaw  bone  of  which  would  pass  over  any 
common  man's  face  with  ease. 

Near  the  Indian  village  described  on  a  preceding  page,  on  Capt. 
Oliver's  land,  a  few  years  ago,  some  hands  in  removing  the  stone 
covering  an  Indian  grave,  discovered  a  skeleton,  whose  great  size 
attracted  their  attention.  The  stones  was  carefully  taken  off  without 
disturbing  the  frame,  when  it  was  discovered,  that  the  body  had- 
been  laid  at  full  length  on  the  ground,  and  broad  flat  stones  set 
round  the  corpse  in  the  shape  of  a  cofiin.  Capt.  Oliver  measured  the 
skeleton  as  it  lay,  which  was  nearly  seven  feet  long.  § 

In  the  further  progress  of  this  work  the  author  will  occasionally 
advert  to  the  subject  of  Indian  antiquities  and  traits  of  the  Indian 
character.  This  chapter  will  now  be  concluded  with  some  general 
reflections  on  the  seemly  hard  fate  of  the  unfortunate  race  of  peo- 
ple.   It  appears  to  the  author  that  no  reflecting  man  can  view  so 

*  Mr.  Thomas  Barrett,  who  was  born  in  1755,  stated  to  the  author,  that 
within  his  recollection  the  signs  of  the  Indian  wigwams  were  to  be  seen  on 
Babb's  Marsh. 

f  Mr.  John  Shobe,  a  very  respectable  old  citizen  of  Martinsburg,  stated 
to  the  author,  that  Mr.  Benjamin  Beeson,  a  highly  respectable  Quaker,  in- 
formed him,  that  the  Tuscarora  Indians  were  living  on  the  Tuscarora  Creek 
when  he  (Beeson)  first  knew  the  country. 

X  Mr.  George  W.  Fairfax  gave  the  author  this  information. 

§  Maximus,  a  Roman  Emperor  in  the  third  century,  **  was  the  son  of  a 
Tracian  shepherd,  and  is  represented  by  historians  as  a  man  of  gigantic 
statute  and  herculean  strength.  He  was  fully  eight  feet  in  height,  and  per- 
fectly symmetrical  in  form."    Abridged  U,  History,  vol.  ii,  p.  35. 


INDIAN  SETTLEMENTS. 


41 


many  burjdng  places  broken  up,  their  bones  torn  up  with  the  plow, 
reduced  to  dust,  and  scattered  to  the  winds,  without  feeling  some 
degree  of  melancholy  regret.  It  is  to  be  lamented  for  another  reason. 
If  those  mounds  and  places  of  burial  had  been  permitted  to  remain 
undisturbed,  they  would  have  stood  as  lasting  mionuments  in  the 
history  of  our  country.  Many  of  them  were  doubtless  the  w^ork  of 
ages,  and  future  generations  would  have  contemplated  them  wuth 
great  interest  and  curiosity.  But  these  memorials  are  rapidly  disap- 
pearing, and  the  time  perhaps  will  come,  when  not  a  trace  of  them 
will  remain.  The  author  has  had  the  curiosit}^  to  open  several  In- 
dian graves,  in  one  of  which  he  found  a  pipe,  of  different  form  from 
any  he  has  ever  seen.  It  is  made  of  a  hard  black  stone  and 
glazed  or  rather  painted  with  a  substance  of  reddish  cast.  In  all 
the  graves  he  has  examined,  the  bones  are  found  in  a  great  state  of 
decay,  except  the  teeth,  which  are  generally  in  a  perfect  state  of 
preservation. 

It  is  no  way  wonderful  that  this  unfortunate  race  of  people  re- 
luctantly yielded  their  rightful  and  just  possession  of  this  fine 
country.  It  is  no  way  wonderful  that  they  resisted  with  all  their 
force  the  intrusion  of  the  white  people  (who  were  strangers  to  them, 
from  a  foreign  country),  upon  their  rightful  inheritance.  But  per- 
haps this  was  the  fiat  of  heaven.  When  God  created  this  globe,  he 
probably  intended  it  should  sustain  the  greatest  possible  number  of 
his  creatures.  And  as  the  human  familj^  in  a  state  of  civil  life, 
increases  with  vastly  more  rapidity  than  a  people  in  a  state  of  nature 
or  savage  life,  the  law  of  force  has  been  generally  resorted  to,  and  the 
weaker  compelled  to  give  way  to  the  stronger.  That  a  part  of  our 
country  has  beea  acquired  by  this  law  of  force,  is  undeniable.  It  is, 
however,  matter  of  consoling  reflection,  that  there  are  some  honora- 
ble exceptions  to  this  arbitrary  rule.  The  great  and  wise  William 
Penn  set  the  example  of  purchasing  the  Indian  lands.  Several  re- 
spectable individuals  of  the  Quaker  Society  thought  it  unjust  to  take 
possession  of  this  Valley  without  making  the  Indians  some  compen- 
sation for  their  right.  Measures  were  adopted  to  effect  this  great 
object.  But  upon  inquiry,  no  particular  tribe  could  be  found  who 
pretended  to  have  any  prior  claim  to  the  soil.  It  was  considered 
the  common  hunting  ground  of  various  tribes,  and  not  claimed  by 
any  particular  nation  who  had  authority  to  sell. 

This  information  was  communicated  to  the  author  b}^  two  aged 
and  highly  respectable  men  of  the  Friends'  Society,  Isaac  Brown  and 
Lewis  Neill,  each  of  them  upwards  of  eighty  years  of  age,  and  both 
residents  of  the  County  of  Frederick. 

In  confirmation  of  this  statement  in  a  letter  written  by  Thomas 
Chaukley,  to  the  monthly  meeting  on  the  Opequon,  on  the  21st  of 
May,  1738,  is  strong  circumstantial  evidence;  of  which  the  follow- 
ing is  a  copy  : 


6 


42 


INDIAN  SETTLEMENTS. 


lkttkr  from  mr.  thomas  chauki^ey. 

Virginia,  at  John  Cheagle's,  1 

May  2ist,  1738.  j 

*'  To  the  friends  of  the  monthly  meeting  at  the  Opequoji  : 

''Dear  friends  who  inhabit  the  Shenandoah  and  Opequon  : — 
Having  a  concern  for  your  welfare  and  prosperity,  both  now  and 
hereafter,  and  also  the  prosperity  of  your  children,  I  had  a  desire  to 
see  you  ;  but  being  in  years,  and  heavy,  and  much  spent  and 
fatigued  with  m^^  long  journeyings  in  Virginia  and  Carolina  makes 
it  seem  too  hard  for  me  to  perform  a  visit  in  person  to  you,  where- 
fore I  take  this  way  of  writing  to  discharge  my  mind  of  what  lies 
weighty  thereon  ;  and 

"  First.  I  desire  that  you  be  very  careful  (being  far  and 
back  inhabitants)  to  keep  a  friendly  correspondence  with  the  native 
Indians,  giving  them  no  occasion  of  offense  ;  they  being  a  cruel 
and  merciless  enemy,  where  the}^  think  they  are  wronged  or 
defrauded  of  their  rights  :  as  woeful  experience  had  taught  in 
Carolina,  Virginia  and  Maryland,  and  especially  in  New  England, 
&c.  ;  and 

"Second.  As  nature  had  eiven  them  and  their  forefathers 
the  possession  of  this  continent  of  America  (or  this  wilderness), 
they  had  a  natural  right  thereto  in  justice  and  equity  ;  and  no 
people,  according  to  the  law  of  nature  and  justice  and  our  own 
principle,  which  is  according  to  the  glorious  gospel  of  our  dear 
and  holy  Jesus  Christ,  ought  to  take  away  or  settle  on  other 
men's  lands  or  rights  without  consent,  or  purchasing  the  same 
by  agreement  of  parties  concerned  ;  which  I  suppose  in  your  case  is 
not  yet  done. 

"Third.  Therefore  my  counsel  and  christian  advice  to  you 
is  my  dear  friends,  that  the  most  reputable  among  you  do  with 
speed  endeavor  to  agree  with  and  purchase  your  lands  of  the  native 
Indians  or  inhabitants.  Take  example  of  our  worthy  and  honor- 
able late  proprietor  William  Penn  ;  who  by  the  wise  and  religious 
care  in  that  relation  had  settled  a  lasting  peace  and  commerce  with 
the  natives,  and  through  his  prudent  management  therein  hath  been 
instrumental  to  plant  in  peace  one  of  the  most  flourishing  provinces 
in  the  world. 

"  Fourth.  Who  would  run  the  risk  of  the  lives  of  their  wives 
and  children  for  the  sparing  a  little  cost  and  pains  ?  I  am  con- 
cerned to  lay  these  things  before  you,  under  an  uncommon  exercise 
of  mind,  that  your  new  and  flourishing  little  settlement  may  not  be 
laid  waste,  and  (if  the  province  of  the  Almighty  doeth  not  intervene), 
some  of  the  blood  of  yourselves,  wives  or  children,  be  shed  or  spilt 
on  the  ground. 


INDIAN  SETTLEMENTS. 


43 


Fifth.  Consider  you  are  in  the  province  of  Virginia,  holding 
what  rights  you  have  under  that  government ;  and  the  Virginians 
have  made  an  agreement  with  the  natives  to  go  as  far  as  the  moun- 
tains and  no  farther ;  and  you  are  over  and  beyond  the  mountains, 
therefore  out  of  that  agreement ;  by  which  you  lie  open  to  the  in- 
sults and  incursions  of  the  Southern  Indians,  who  have  destroyed 
many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Carolina  and  Virginia,  and  even  now 
destroyed  more  on  the  like  occasion.  The  English  going  beyond  the 
bounds  of  their  agreement,  eleven  of  them  were  killed  by  the  Indians 
while  we  were  traveling  in  Virginia." 

Sixth.  If  you  believe  yourselves  to  be  within  the  bounds  of 
William  Penn's  patent  from  King  Charles  the  second,  which  will  be 
hard  for  you  to  prove,  you  being  far  southward  of  his  line,  yet  if  done, 
that  will  be  no  consideration  with  the  Indians  without  a  purchase  from 
them,  except  you  will  go  about  it  to  convince  them  by  fire  and 
sword,  contrary  to  our  principles  ;  and  if  that  were  done,  they  would 
ever  be  implacable  enemies,  and  the  land  could  never  be  enjoyed  in 
peace. 

Seventh.  Please  to  note  that  in  Pennsylvania  no  new  settle- 
ments are  made  without  an  agreement  with  the  natives  ;  as  witness 
Lancaster  county,  lately  settled,  though  that  is  far  within  the  grant 
of  William  Penn's  patent  from  King  Charles  the  Second  ;  wherefore 
you  lie  open  to  the  insurrections  of  the  Northern  as  well  as  Southern 
Indians  ;  and 

Lastly.  Thus  having  shown  my  good  will  to  you  and  your 
new  little  settlement,  that  you  might  sit  every  one  under  your  own 
shady  tree,  where  none  might  make  you.  afraid,  and  that  you  might 
prosper  naturally  and  spiritually,  you  and  your  children  ;  and  hav- 
ing a  little  eased  my  mind  of  that  weight  and  concern  (in  some 
measure)  that  lay  upon  me,  I  at  present  desist,  and  subscribe  my- 
self, in  the  love  of  our  holy  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  your  real  friend. 

T.  C." 

This  excellent  letter  from  this  good  man  proves  that  the  Quakers 
were  among  our  early  settlers,  and  that  this  class  of  people  were 
early  disposed  to  do  justice  to  the  natives  of  the  country. 

Had  this  humane  and  just  policy  of  purchasing  the  Indian  lands 
been  first  adopted  and  adhered  to,  it  is  highly  probable  the  white 
people  might  have  gradually  obtained  possession  without  the  loss  of 
so  much  blood  and  treasure. 

The  ancesters  of  the  Neills,  Walkers,  Bransons,  McKays, 
Hakneys,  Beesons,  Luptons,  Barretts,  Dillons,  and  others  w^ere 
among  the  earliest  Quaker  immigrants  to  our  Valley.  Three  Quak- 
ers by  the  name  of  Fawcett  settled  at  an  early  period  about  eight  or 
nine  miles  south  of  Winchester,  near  Zane's  old  iron  works,  from 
whom  a  pretty  numerous  progeny  has  descended.  They  have,  how- 
ever, chiefly  migrated  to  the  west. 


1 


44 


INDIAN  SETTLEMENTS. 


Mr.  Jefferson  in  his  notes  on  Virginia  says  :  * '  That  the  lands 
of  this  country  were  taken  from  them,  (the  Indians),  by  conquest," 
is  not  so  general  a  truth  as  is  supposed.  I  find  in  our  historians 
and  records,  repeated  proofs  of  purchase,  which  cover  a  con- 
siderable part  of  the  lower  country  ;  and  many  more  would  doubt- 
less be  found  on  further  search.  The  upper  country  we  know 
has  been  acquired  altogether  by  purchase  in  the  most  unexception- 
able form. 

Tradition  relates,  that  several  tracts  of  land  were  purchased 
by  Quakers  from  the  Indians  on  Apple-pie  Ridge,  and  that  the  In- 
dians never  were  known  to  disturb  the  people  residing  on  the  land 
so  obtained. 


FIRST  SKTTI.EMENT  OF  THE  VALIvEY. 


CHAPTER  III. 

FIRST  SKTTI.KMKNT  OF  THK  VAI.I.KY. 

In  the  year  1732,  Joist  Hit^,  with  his  family  and  his  sons-in- 
law,  viz  :  George  Bowman,  Jacob  Chrisman  and  Paul  Froman,  with 
their  families ;  Robert  McKay,  Robert  Green,  William  Duff,  Peter 
Stephens,  and  several  others,  amounting  in  the  whole  to  sixteen  fam- 
ilies, removed  from  Pennsylvania,  cutting  their  road  from  York, and 
crossing  the  Cohongoruton  about  two  miles  above  Harper's  Ferry. 
Hite  settled  on  Opequon,  about  five  miles  south  of  Winchester,  on 
the  great  highway  between  Winchester  and  Staunton,  now  the  resi- 
dence of  the  highly  respectable  widow  of  the  late  Richard  Peters 
Barton,  Esq.,  and  also  the  residence  of  Richard  W.  Barton,  Esq. 
Peter  Stephens  and  several  others  settled  at  Stephensburg,and  founded 
the  town;  James  Chrisman  at  what  is  now  called  Chrisman's  Spring, 
about  two  miles  south  of  Stephensburg ;  Bowman  on  Cedar  Creek, 
about  six  miles  farther  south ;  and  Froman  on  the  same  Creek, 
eight  or  nine  miles  northwest  of  Bowman.  Robert  McKay  settled 
on  Crooked  Run,  eight  or  nine  miles  southeast  of  Stephensburg. 
The  several  other  families  settled  in  the  same  neighborhood,  wherever 
they  could  find  wood  and  water  most  convenient.  From  the  most 
authentic  information  which  the  author  has  been  able  to  obtain. 
Hite  and  his  party  were  the  first  immigrants  who  settled  west  of  the 
Bkie  Ridge.  They  were,  however,  very  soon  followed  by  numer- 
ous others. 

In  1734,*  Benjamin  Allen,  Riley  Moore  and  William  White, 
removed  from  Monoccacy,  in  Maryland,  and  settled  on  the  North 
Branch  of  the  Shenandoah,  now  in  the  County  of  Shenandoah,  about 
twelve  miles  South  of  Woodstock. 

In  1733,  Jacob  Stover,  an  enterprising  German,  obtained  from 
the  Governor  of  Virginia,  a  grant  for  five  thousand  acres  of  land 
on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Gerando  f  River,  on  what  was  called 
Mesinetto  Creek.  J 

*  Mr.  Steenbergeu  informed  the  author  that  the  traditionary  account  of 
the  first  settlement  of  his  farm,  together  with  Allen's  and  Moore's,  made  it 
about  106  years ;  but  Mr.  Aaran  Moore,  grandson  of  Riley  Moore,  by  refer* 
ing  to  the  family  records,  fixes  the  period  pretty  correctly.  According  to 
Mr.  Moore's  account,  Moore,  Allen  and  White,  removed  from  Maryland  in 
1734. 

f  This  water  course  was  first  written  Gerando,  then  Sherandoah  now 
Shenandoah. 

X  Mesinetto  is  now  called  Massinutton.  There  is  considerable  settlement 
of  highly  improved  farms,  now  called  "  the  Massinutton  settlement,"  in  the 
new  County  of  Page,  on  the  west  side  of  the  South  River,  on  Stover's  ancient 
grant. 


46  FIRST  SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  VALLEY. 


Tradition  relates  a  singular  and  amusing  account  of  Stover  and 
his  grant. ^  On  his  application  to  the  executive  for  his  grant,  he  was 
refused  unless  he  could  give  satisfactory  assurance  that  he  would 
have  the  land  settled  with  the  requisite  number  of  families  within  a 
given  time.  Being  unable  to  do  this,  he  forthwith  passed  over  to  Eng- 
land, petitioned  the  King  to  direct  his  grant  to  be  issued,  and  in  order 
to  insure  success,  had  given  human  names  to  every  horse,  cow,  hog 
and  dog  he  owned,  and  which  he  represented  as  heads  of  families, 
ready  to  migrate  and  settle  the  land.  By  this  disingenious  trick  he 
succeeded  in  obtaining  directions  from  the  King  and  Council  for 
securing  his  grant  ;  on  obtaining  which  he  immediately  sold  out  his 
land  in  small  divfsions,  at  three  pounds  (equal  to  ten  dollars)  per 
hundred,  and  went  off  with  the  money. 

Two  men,  John  and  Isaac  Vanmeter,  obtained  a  warrant  from 
Governor  Gooch  for  locating  forty  thousand  acres  of  land.  This 
warrant  was  obtained  in  the  year  1730.  They  sold  or  transferred 
part  of  their  warrant  to  Joist  Hite  ;  and  from  this  warrant  eminated 
several  of  Kite's  grants,  which  the  author  has  seen.  Of  the  titles 
to  the  land  on  which  Hite  settled,  with  several  other  tracts  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Stephensburg,  the  originals  are  found  on  this 
warrant. 

In  the  year  1734,  Richard  Morgan  obtained  a  grant  for  a  tract  of 
land  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  Shepherdstown,  on  or  near 
the  Cohongoruton.  Among  the  first  settlers  on  this  water  course 
and  its  vicinity  were,  Robert  Harper,  (Harper' s-Ferry),  William 
Stroop,  Thomas  and  William  Forester,  Israel  Friend,  Thomas  Shep- 
hard,  Thomas  Swearengen,  Van  Swearengen,  James  Forman,  Ed- 
ward Lucas,  Jacob  Hite,  f  John  Lemon,  Richard  Mercer,  Edward 
Mercer,  Jacob  Vanmeter  and  brothers,  Robert  Stockton,  Robert 
Buckles,  John  Taylor,  Samuel  Taylor,  Richard  Morgan,  John 
Wright,  and  others. 

The  first  settlers  on  the  Wappatomaka,  (South  Branch)  were 
Coburn,  Howard,  Walker  and  Rutledge.  This  settlement  com- 
menced about  the  year  1734  or  1735.  It  does  not  appear  that  the 
first  immigration  to  this  fine  section  of  country  had  the  precaution  to 
secure  titles  to  their  land,  until  Lord  Fairfax  migrated  to  Virginia, 
and  opened  his  office  for  granting  warrants  in  the  Northern  Neck. 
The  earliest  grant  which  the  author  could  find  in  this  settlement 
bears  date  1747.  The  most  of  these  grants  are  dated  in  1749.  This 
was  a  most  unfortunate  omission  on  the  part  of  these  people.  It  left 
Fairfax  at  the  discretion  of  exercising  his  insatiable  disposition  for 
the  monopoly  of  wealth  !  and  instead  of  granting  these  lands  upon 
the  usual  terms  allowed  to  other  settlers,  he  availed  himself  of  the 
opportunity  of  laying  off  in  mannors,  fifty-five  thousand  acres,  in 

*  Stover's  grant  is  described  as  being  in  the  County  of  Spottsylvania,  St. 
Mark's  Parish.  Of  course,  Spottsylvania  at  that  period  i.  e.  1733,  crossed 
the  Blue  Ridge. 

f  One  of  Joist  Kite's  sons. 


FIRST  SETTI.EMENT  OF  THE  VALLEY.  47 


what  is  called  the  South  Branch  manor,  and  nine  thousand  acres  on 
Patterson's  Creek. 

This  was  considered  by  the  settlers  an  odious  and  oppressive  act 
on  the  part  of  his  lordship,  and  many  of  them  left  the  countr}^  * 
These  two  great  surveys  were  made  in  the  year  1747.  To  such 
tenants  as  remained,  his  lordship  granted  leases  for  ninety-nine  years, 
reserving  an  annual  rent  of  twenty  shillings  sterling  per  hundred 
acres  ;  w^hereas,  all  other  immigrants  onl}^  two  shillings  per  hundred 
was  reserved,  with  a  fee  simple  title  to  the  tenant.  Some  further 
notice  of  Lord  Fairfax  and  his  immense  grant  will  be  taken  in  a  fu- 
ture chapter. 

Tradition  relates  that  a  man  by  the  name  of  John  Howard,  and 
his  son,  previous  to  the  first  settlement  of  our  Valley,  explored  the 
country,  and  discovered  the  charming  Valley  of  the  South  Branch, 
crossed  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  and  on  the  Ohio  killed  a  very  large 
Buffalo  bull,  skinned  him,  stretched  his  hide  over  rims  of  wood,  made 
a  kind  of  boat,  and  in  this  frail  bark  descended  the  Ohio  and  Missis- 
sippi to  New  Orleans,  w^ere  they  were  apprehended  by  the  French  as 
suspicious  characters,  and  sent  to  France  ;  but  nothing  criminal  ap- 
pearing against  them,  they  were  discharged.  From  hence  they 
crossed  over  to  England,  where  Fairfax  by  some  means  got  to  hear 
of  Mr.  Howard,  sought  an  interview  with  him,  and  obtained  from 
him  a  description  of  the  fertility  and  immense  value  of  the  South 
Branch,  which  determined  his  Lordship  at  once  to  secure  it  in 
manors,  f  Notwithstanding  this  selfish  monoply  on  the  part  of 
Fairfax,  the  great  fertility  and  value  of  the  countr}^  induced  numerous 
tenants  to  take  leases,  settle  and  improve  the  lands. 

At  an  early  period  many  immigrants  settled  on  Capon  (anciently 
called  Cacaphon,  which  is  said  to  be  the  Indian  name),  also  on 
Lost  River.  Along  Back  Creek,  Cedar  Creek,  and  Opequon,  pretty 
numerous  settlements  were  made.  Two  great  branches  of  the 
\  Shenandoah,  from  its  Forks  upwards,  were  among  our  earliest 
settlements. 

An  enterprising  Quaker,  by  the  name  of  Ross,  obtained  a  war- 
rant for  surveying  forty  thousand  acres  of  land.  The  surveys  on 
this  warrant  were  made  along  Opequon,  north  of  Winchester,  and 
up  to  Apple-pie  Ridge.  Pretty  numerous  immigrants  of  the  Quaker 
profession  removed  from  Pennsylvania,  and  settled  on  Ross's  sur- 
veys. The  reader  will  have  observed  in  my  preceding  chapter,  that 
as  early  as  1738,  this  people  had  regular  monthly  meetings  estab- 
lished in  Opequon.  X 

The  lands  on  the  west  side  of  the  Shenandoah,  from  a  little 
below  the  Forks,  were  first  settled  by  overseers  and  slaves,  nearly 


*  William  Heath,  Esq.,  of  Hardy,  gave  the  author  this  information, 
f  Also  related  by  Mr.  Heath. 

i  See  Chaukley's  letter  to  the  monthly  meeting  on  Opequon,  May  21, 
1738,  page  42. 


48  FIRST  SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  VALI^EY. 


down  to  the  mouth  of  the  Bullskin.  A  Col.  Carter,  *  of  the  lower 
country,  had  obtained  grants  for  about  sixty-three  thousand  acres  of 
land  on  this  river.  His  surveys  commenced  a  short  distance  below 
the  Forks  of  the  River,  and  ran  down  a  little  below  Snicker's  ferry, 
upwards  of  twenty  miles.  This  fine  body  of  land  is  now  subdivided 
into  a  great  many  most  valuable  farms,  a  considerable  part  of  which 
are  nov^  owned  by  the  highl}^  respectable  families  of  Burwell's 
and  Page's.  But  little  of  it  now  remains  in  the  hands  of  Carter's 
heirs. 

Another  surv^ey  of  thirteen  thousand  acres  was  granted  to  an- 
other person,  and  lies  immediately  below  and  adjoining  Carter's  line, 
running  a  considerable  distance  into  the  County  of  Jefferson.  This 
fine  tract  of  land,  it  is  said,  was  sold  under  the  hammei  at  Williams- 
burg, some  time  previous  to  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  The  owner 
had  been  sporting,  lost  money,  and  sold  the  land  to  pay  his  debt  of 
honor.  General  Washington  happened  to  be  present,  knew  the 
land,  and  advised  the  late  Ralph  Wormley,  Esq.,  f  to  purchase  it. 
Wormley  bid  five  hundred  guineas  for  it,  and  it  was  struck  off  to 
him.  It  is  also  said  that  Mr.  Wormley,  just  before  or  at  the  time  of 
the  sale,  had  been  regaling  himself  with  a  social  glass,  and  that  when 
he  cooled  off,  he  became  extremely  dissatisfied  with  his  purchase  con- 
sidering it  as  money  throw^n  away.  Washington  hearing  of  his 
uneasiness,  immediately  waited  on  him,  and  told  him  he  would  take 
'  the  purchase  off  his  hands,  and  pay  him  his  money  again,  but  ad- 
vised him  by  all  means  to  hold  it,  assuring  him  that  it  would  one 
day  or  other  be  the  foundation  of  an  independent  fortune  for  his 
children ;  upon  which  Wormley  became  better  reconciled,  and  con- 
sented to  hold  on.  And  truly,  as  Washington  predicted,  it  would 
have  become  a  splendid  estate  in  the  hands  of  two  or  three  of  his 
children,  had  they  known  how  to  preserve  it.  But  it  passed  into 
other  hands,  and  now  constitute  the  splendid  farms  of  the  late  firm 
of  Castleman  &  McCormick,  Hierome  L.  Opie,  Esq.  ,  the  honorable 
judge  Richard  E.  Parker,  and  several  others.  In  truth  all  the  coun- 
try about  the  larger  water  courses  and  mountains  was  settled  before 
the  fine  country  about  Bullskin,  I^ong  Marsh,  Spot  Run,  &c. 

Much  the  greater  part  of  the  country  between  what  is  called  the 
Little  North  Mountain  and  the  Shenandoah  River,  at  the  first  settl- 
ing of  the  Valley  was  one  vast  prairie,  |  and  like  the  rich  prairies  of 
the  west,  afforded  the  finest  possible  pasturage  for  wild  rnimals. 
The  country  abounded  in  the  larger  kinds  of  game.    The  buffalo, 


*  Col.  Robert  Carter  obtained  grants  in  September,  1730,  for  sixty-three 
thousand  acres. 

I  Mr.  Wormley,  it  is  believed,  resided  at  the  time  in  the  connty  of  Mid- 
dlesex. 

I  There  are  several  aged  individuals  now  living,  who  recollect  when 
there  were  large  bodies  of  land  in  the  Counties  of  Berkeley,  Jefferson  and 
Fredeick,  barren  of  timber.  The  barren  land  is  now  covered  with  the  best 
of  forest  trees. 


FIRST  SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  VALLEY. 


elk,  deer,  bear,  panther,  wild. cat,  wolf,  fox,  beaver,  otter,  and  all 
other  kinds  of  animals,  wild  fowls,  &c.,  common  to  forest  countries, 
were  abundantly  plenty.  The  country,  now  the  County  of  Shenan- 
doah, between  the  Fort  Mountain  and  the  North  Mountain,  was  also 
settled  at  any  early  period.  The  counties  of  Rockingham  and 
Augusta  also  were  settled  at  an  early  time.  The  settlement  of  the 
upper  part  of  our  Valley  will  be  more  particularly  noticed,  and 
form  the  subject  of  a  second  volume  hereafter,  should  the  public 
demand  it. 

From  the  best  evidence  the  author  has  been  able  to  collect,  and 
for  this  purpose  he  has  examined  man}^  ancient  grants  of  land,  fam- 
ly  records,  &c.,  as  well  as  the  oral  tradition  of  our  ancient  citizens, 
the  settlement  of  our  Valley  progressed  without  interruption  from 
the  native  Indians  for  a  period  of  about  twenty-three  years.  In  the 
year  1754,  the  Indians  suddenly  disappeared,  and  crossed  the  Alle- 
ghany Mountains.  The  year  preceding,  emissaries  from  the  west 
of  the  Alleghany  Mountains  came  among  the  Valley  Indians  and  in- 
vited them  to  move  off.  ^  This  occurrence  excited  suspicion  among 
the  white  people  that  a  storm  was  brewing  in  the  west,  which  it  was 
essential  to  prepare  to  meet. 

Tradition  relates,  that  the  Indians  did  not  object  to  the  Penn- 
sylvanians  settling  the  country.  From  the  high  character  of 
William  Penn,  (the  founder  of  Pennsylvania),  the  poor  simple  na- 
tives believed  that  all  of  Penn's  men  were  honest,  virtuous,  humane 
and  benevolent,  and  partook  of  the  qualities  of  the  illustrious  founder 
of  their  government.  But  fatal  experience  soon  taught  them  a  very 
different  lesson.  They  soon  found  to  their  cost  that  Penns^dvanians 
were  not  much  better  than  others. 

Tradition  also  informs  us  that  the  natives  held  in  utter  abhorence 
the  Virginians,  whom  the}^  designated  "Long  Knife,"  and  were 
warmly  opposed  to  their  settling  in  the  Valley. 

The  author  wall  conclude  this  chapter  with  some  general  re- 
marks in  relation  to  the  circumstances  under  which  the  first  settle- 
ment of  the  Valley  commenced.  Tradition  informs  us,  that  the  oral 
statements  of  several  aged  individuals  of  respectable  character  con- 
firm the  fact  that  the  Indians  and  white  people,  resided  in  the  same 
neighborhood  for  several  years  after  the  first  settlement  commenced, 
and  that  the  Indians  were  entirely  peaceable  and  friendly.  This 
statement  must  in  the  nature  of  things  be  true  ;  because  if  it  had  been 
otherwise,  the  white  people  could  not  have  succeeded  in  effecting  a 
settlement.  Had  the  natives  resisted  the  first  attempts  to  settle,  the 
whites  could  not  have  succeeded  without  the  aid  of  a  pretty  consider- 
able army  "to  awe  the  Indians  into  submission.  It  was  truly  fortun- 
ate for  our  ancestor  that  this  quiescent  spirit  of  the  Indians  afforded 
them  the  opportunity  of  acquiring  considerable  strength  as  to  num- 


*  Mr.  Thomas  Barret,  an  aged  and  respectable  citizen  of  Frederick 
county  related  this  tradition  to  the  author. 


7 


50  FIRST  SETTlvEMENT  OF  THE  VALLEY. 


bers,  the  accumulation  of  considerable  property  and  the  improve- 
ments, before  Indian  hostilities  commenced. 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  it  was  twenty-three  j^ears  from  the 
first  settlement,  before  the  Indians  committed  any  acts  of  outrage  on 
the  white  people.  During  this  period  many  pretty  good  dwelling 
houses  w^ere  erected.  Joist  Hite  had  built  a  stone  house  on  the 
Opequon,  which  house  is  now  standing,  and  has  a  very  ancient 
appearance  ;  *  but  there  are  no  marks  upon  it  by  which  to  ascertain 
the  time.  In  175 1,  Janies  Wilson  erected  a  stone  house  which  is  still 
standing,  and  now  the  residence  of  Mr.  Adam  Kern,  adjoining,  or 
near  the  village  of  Kernstown. 

Jacob  Chrisman  also  built  a  pretty  large  stone  house  in  the  year 
1 75 1,  now  the  residence  of  Mr.  Abraham  Stickley,  about  two  miles 
south  of  Stephensburg.  Geo.  Bowman  and  Paul  Froman  each  of  them 
built  stone  houses,  about  the  same  period.  The  late  Col.  John  Hite, 
in  the  year  1753,  built  a  stone  house  now  the  dwelling  house  of  Mrs. 
Barton.  This  building  was  considered  by  far  the  finest  dwelling 
house  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  f  Lewis  Stephens,  in  the  year  1756, 
built  a  stone  house,  the  ruins  of  which  are  now  to  be  seen  at  the  old 
iron  works  of  the  late  Gen.  Isaac  Zane.  It  will  hereafter  be  seen 
that  these  several  stone  buildings  became  of  great  importance  to  the 
people  of  the  several  neighborhoods,  as  places  of  protection  and 
security  against  the  attack  of  the  Indians. 

The  subject  of  the  early  settlement  of  the  Valley  will  be  resumed 
in  my  next  chapter. 

*  On  the  wall  plate  of  a  framed  barn  built  by  Hite,  the  figures  1747  are 
plainly  marked,  and  now  to  be  seen. 

f  There  is  a  tradition  in  this  neighborhood  that  Col.  Hite  quarried  every 
stone  in  this  building  with  his  own  hands. 


FIRST  SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  VALLEY.  51 


CHAPTER  IV. 

FIRST  SETTI^KMENT  OF  THE  VAI,I,KY. — {^Continued). 

Tradition  relates  that  a  man  by  the  name  of  John  Vanmeter, 
from  New  York,  some  j^ears  previous  to  the  first  settlement  of  the 
Valley  discovered  the  fine  country  on  the  -Wappatomaka.  This 
man  v/as  a  kind  of  wandering  Indian  trader,  became  well  acquainted 
with  the  Delawares,  and  once  accompanied  a  war  party  who  marched 
to  the  south  for  the  purpose  of  invading  the  Catawbas.  The  Ca- 
tawbas,  however,  anticipated  them,  met  them  very  near  the  spot 
where  Pendleton  courthouse  now  stands,  and  encountered  and  de- 
feated them  with  immense  slaughter.  Vanmeter  was  engaged  on 
the  side  of  the  Delawares  in  this  battle.  When  Vanmeter  returned 
to  New  York,  he  advised  his  sons,  that  if  they  ever  migrated  to 
Virginia,  by  all  means  to  secure  a  part  of  the  South  Branch  Bottom, 
and  described  the  lands  immediately  above  what  is  called  * '  The 
Trough,"  as  the  finest  body  of  land  which  he  had  ever  discovered  in 
all  his  travels.  One  of  his  sons,  Isaac  Vanmeter,  in  conformity  with 
his  father's  advice  came  to  Virginia  about  the  year  1736  or  1737, 
and  made  what  was  called  a  tomahawk  improvement  on  the  lands  now 
owned  by  Isaac  Vanmeter,  Esq. , immediately  above  the  Trough,  where 
Fort  Pleasant  was  afterwards  erected.  After  this  improvement  Mr. 
Vanmeter  returned  to  New  Jersey,  came  out  again  in  1740,  and 
found  a  man  by  the  name  of  Coburn  settled  on  his  land.  Mr.  Van- 
meter bought  out  Coburn,  and  again  returned  to  New  Jersey  ;  and 
in  the  year  1744  removed  with  his  family  and  settled  on  the  land.  * 
Previous  to  Vanmeter 's  final  removal  to  Virginia,  several  immi- 
grants from  Pennsylvania,  chiefly  Irish,  had  settled  on  the  South 
Branch.  Howard,  Coburn,  Walker  and  Rutledge,  were  the  first 
settlers  on  the  Wappatomaka. "  f 

William  Miller  and  Abraham  Hite  were  also  among  the  early 
settlers.  When  the  Indian  wars  broke  out.  Miller  sold  out  his  right  to 
500  acres  of  land,  and  all  his  stock  of  horses  and  cattle  in  the  woods, 
for  twenty-five  pounds,  %  and  removed  on  the  South  Fork  of  the 
Shenandoah,  a  few  miles  above  Front  Royal.  The  500  acres  of  land 
sold  by  Miller  lie  within  about  two  miles  of  Moorefield,  and  one  acre 
of  it  would  now  command  more  money  than  the  whole  tract,  includ- 
ing his  stock,  was  sold  for. 

*  Isaac  Vanmeter,  Esq.,  of  Hardy,  detailed  this  tradition  to  the  author. 

f  Communicated  by  William  Heath,  Esq. 

X  Isaac  Vanmeter,  Esq.,  stated  this  fact  to  the  author. 


52  FIRST  SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  VALLEY. 


Casey,  Pancake,  Forman,  and  a  number  of  others,  had  settled 
on  the  Wappatomaka,  previous  to  Vanmeter's  final  removal. 

In  the  year  1740,  the  late  Isaac  Hite,  Esq.,  one  of  the  sons  of 
Joist  Hite,  settled  on  the  North  Branch  of  the  Shenandoah,  in  the 
County  of  Frederick,  on  the  beautiful  farm  called  ' '  Long  Meadows. " 
This  fine  estate  is  now  owned  by  Maj.  Isaac  Hite,  the  only  son  of 
Isaac  Hite,  deceased.  * 

About  the  same  year,  John  Lindsey  and  James  Lindsey, brothers, 
removed  and  settled  on  the  Long  Marsh,  between  the  Bullskin  and 
Berryville,  in  the  County  of  Frederick  ;  Isaac  Larue  removed  from 
New  Jersey  in  1743,  and  settled  on  the  same  marsh.  About  the 
same  period,  Christopher  Beeler  removed  and  settled  within  two  or 
three  miles  from  Larue  ;  about  the  year  1744,  James  Hampton  and 
two  sons  came  from  the  eastern  shore  of  Marjdand,  settled  on  Buck 
Marsh,  near  Berryville,  and  lived  the  greater  part  of  the  year  in  a 
hollow  sycamore  tree.  They  enclosed  a  piece  of  land  and  made  a 
crop  preparatory  to  the  removal  of  the  family,  f 

In  1743  Joseph  Carter  removed  from  Bucks  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania and  settled  on  Opequon,  about  five  miles  west  of  Winchester. 
Very  near  Mr.  Carter's  residence,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Creek, was 
a  beautiful  grove  of  forest  timber,  immediately  opposite  which  a  fine 
limestone  spring  issued  from  the  east  bank  of  the  Creek.  This  grove 
was  at  the  time  of  Mr.  Carter's  first  settlement,  a  favorite  camping 
ground  of  the  Indians,  where  numerous  collections,  sometimes  two 
or  three  hundred  at  a  time,  would  assemble,  and  remain  for  several 
weeks  together.  Mr.  Carter  was  a  shoemaker,  and  on  one  occasion 
two  Indians  called  at  his  shop  just  as  he  had  finished  and  hungup  a 
pair  of  shoes,  which  one  of  the  Indians  seeing  secretly  slipped  under 
his  blanket,  and  attempted  to  make  off.  Carter  detected  him,  and 
took  the  shoes  from  him.  His  companion  manifested  the  utmost  in- 
dignation at  the  theft,  and  gave  Carter  to  understand  that  the  culprit 
would  be  severely  dealt  with.  As  soon  as  the  Indians  returned  to 
the  encampment,  information  was  given  to  the  chiefs,  and  the  unfor- 
tunate thief  was  so  severely  chastised,  that  Mr.  Carter,  from  mo- 
tives of  humanity,  interposed,  and  begged  that  the  punishment  might 
cease.  X 

Maj.  Isaac  Hite  informed  the  author  that  numerous  parties  of 
Indians,  in  passing  and  repassing,  frequently  called  at  his  grand- 
father's house,  on  Opequon,  and  that  but  one  instance  of  theft  was 
ever  committed.    On  that  occasion  a  pretty  considerable  party  had 


*Maj.  Isaac  Hite,  of  Frederick  county,  communicated  this  information 
to  the  author. 

f  Col.  John  B.  Larue  and  William  Castleman,  Esq.,  gave  the  author  this 
information. 

X  The  late  Mr.  James  Carter  gave  the  author  this  tradition,  which  he  re- 
ceived from  his  father,  who  was  a  boy  of  twelve  or  thirteen  years  old  at  the 
time,  and  an  eye-witness  of  the  fact.  Opposite  to  this  camping  ground,  on 
a  high  hill  east  of  the  creek,  is  a  large  Indian  grave. 


FIRST  SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  VALLEY.  53 

called,  and  on  their  leaving  the  house  some  articles  of  inconsiderable 
value  was  missing.  A  messenger  was  sent  after  them,  and  informa- 
tion of  the  theft  given  to  the  chiefs.  Search  was  immediately  made, 
the  articles  found  in  the  possession  of  one  of  them  and  restored  to  its 
owner.  These  facts  go  far  to  show  their  high  sense  of  honesty  and 
summary  justice.  It  has  indeed  been  stated  to  the  author,  that  their 
traveling  parties  would,  if  they  needed  provisions  and  could 
not  otherwise  procure  them,  kill  fat  hogs  or  fat  cattle  m  the  w^oods 
in  order  to  supply  themselves  with  food.  This  the}^  did  not  con- 
sider stealing.  Every  animal  running  at  large  they  considered  law- 
ful game. 

The  Indians  charge  the  white  people  with  teaching  them  the 
knowledge  of  theft  and  several  other  vices.  In  the  winter  of  1815- 
16,  the  author  spent  some  weeks  in  the  state  of  Georgia,  w^here  he 
fell  in  with  Col.  Barnett,  one  of  the  commissioners  for  running  the 
boundary  line  of  Indian  lands  which  had  shortly  before  been  ceded 
to  the  United  States.  Some  conversation  took  place  on  the  subject 
of  the  Indians  and  Indian  character,  in  which  Col.  B.  remarked  that 
in  one  of  his  excursions  through  the  Indian  country,  he  met  with  a 
very  aged  Cherokee  chief,  who  spoke  and  understood  the  English 
language  pretty  well.  The  Colonel  had  several  conversations  with 
this  aged  man,  in  one  of  which  he  congratulated  him  upon  the  pros- 
pect of  his  people  having  their  condition  greatly  improved,  there 
being  every  reason  to  believe  that  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  they 
would  become  acquainted  with  the  arts  of  civil  life — would  be  better 
clothed,  better  fed,  and  erect  better  and  more  comfortable  habita- 
tions— and  what  was  of  still  greater  importance,  they  would  become 
acquainted  with  the  doctrine  and  principle  of  the  Christian  relig- 
ion. This  venerable  old  man  listened  with  the  most  profound  and 
respectful  attention  until  the  Colonel  had  concluded,  and  then  with 
a  significant  shake  of  his  head  and  much  emphasis  replied  ;  that  he 
doubted  the  benefits  to  the  red  people  pointed  out  by  the  Colonel ; 
that  before  their  fathers  were  acquainted  with  the  whites,  the  red 
people  needed  but  little,  and  that  little  the  Great  Spirit  gave  them, 
the  forest  supplying  them  with  food  and  raiment ;  that  before  their 
fathers  were  acquainted  with  the  white  people,  the  red  people  never 
got  drunk,  because  they  had  nothing  to  make  them  drunk,  and  never 
committed  theft,  because  they  had  no  temptation  to  do  so.  It  was 
true,  that  when  parties  were  out  hunting,  and  one  party  was  unsuc- 
cessful and  found  the  game  of  the  more  successful  party  hung  up, 
if  they  needed  provision  they  took  it;  and  this  was  not  stealing,  it  was 
the  law  and  customs  of  the  tribes.  If  they  went  to  war  they  des- 
troyed each  other's  property  ;  this  was  done  to  weaken  their  enemy. 
Red  people  never  swore  because  they  had  no  words  to  express  an 
oath.  Red  people  would  not  cheat,  because  they  had  no  temptation 
to  commit  fraud  ;  they  never  told  falsehoods,  because  they  had  no 
temptation  to  tell  lies.  And  as  to  religion,  you  goto  your  churches, 
sing  loud,  pray  loud,  and  make  great  noise.    The  red  people  meet 


54  FIRST  SBTTI.KMENT  OF  THE  VALLEY. 


once  a  year,  at  the  feast  of  new  corn,  extinguish  all  their  fires,  and 
kindle  up  a  new  one,  the  smoke  of  which  ascends  to  the  Great  Spirit 
as  a  grateful  sacrifice.  Now  what  better  is  your  religion  than  ours  ? 
The  white  people  have  taught  us  to  get  drunk,  to  steal,  to  lie,  to 
cheat,  and  to  swear  ;  and  if  the  knowledge  of  these  vices,  as  you  pro- 
fess to  hold  them,  and  punish  by  your  laws,  is  beneficial  to  the  red 
people,  we  are  benefitted  by  our  acquaintance  with  you  ;  if  not,  w^e 
are  greatly  injured  by  that  acquaintance. 

To  say  the  least  of  this  untutored  old  man,  his  opinions,  relig- 
ion excepted,  were  but  too  well  founded,  and  convey  a  severe  rebuke 
upon  the  character  of  those  who  boast  of  the  superior  advantages 
of  the  lights  of  education  and  a  knowledge  of  the  religion  of  the 
Holy  Redeemer. 

From  this  digression  the  author  will  again  turn  his  attention  to 
the  early  history  of  our  country. 

About  the  year  1763,  the  first  settlement  were  made  at  or  near 
the  head  of  Bullskin.  Two  families,  by  the  name  of  Riley  andAlle- 
mong,  first  commenced  the  settlement  of  this  immediate  neighbor- 
hood. At  this  period  timber  was  so  scarce  that  the  settlers  were 
compelled  to  cut  small  saplings  to  enclose  their  field.  *  The  prairie 
produced  grass  five  or  six  feet  high  ;  f  and  even  our  mountains  and 
hills  were  covered  with  the  sustenance  of  quadrupeds  of  every  specie. 
The  pea  vine  grew  abundantly  on  the  hilly  and  mountainous  lands, 
than  which  no  species  of  vegetable  production  afforded  finer  and 
richer  pasturage. 

From  this  state  of  the  country,  many  of  our  first  settlers  turned 
their  attention  to  raising  large  herds  of  horses,  cattle,  hogs,  &c. 
Many  of  them  became  expert,  hardy  and  adventurous  hunters,  and 
spent  much  of  their  time  and  depended  chiefly  for  support  and 
money-making  on  the  sale  of  skins  and  furs.  ;|:  Moses  Russell,  Esq., 
informed  the  author  that  hilly  lands  about  his  residence,  near  the 
base  of  the  North  Mountain,  in  the  southwest  corner  of  Frederick, 
and  which  now  present  to  the  eye  the  appearance  of  great  poverty  of 
soil,  within  his  recollection  were  covered  with  a  fine  growth  of  pea 
vine,  and  that  stock  of  every  description  grew  abundantly  fat  in  the 
summer  season. 

Isaac  Larue,  who  settled  on  the  Long  Marsh  in  1743,  as  has 
been  stated,  soon  became  celebrated  for  the  numerous  herds  of  horses 

*  Messrs.  Christian  AUemong  and  George  Riley  both  stated  this  fact  to 
the  author. 

f  Mr,  George  Riley  an  aged  and  respectable  citizen,  stated  to  the  author 
that  the  grass  on  the  Bullskin  barrens  grew  so  tall,  that  he  had  frequently 
drawn  it  before  him  when  on  horseback,  and  tied  it  before  him. 

I  The  late  Henry  Fry,  one  of  the  early  settlers  on  Capon  River,  upwards 
of  forty  years  ago,  informed  the  author,  that  he  purchased  the  tract  of  land 
on  which  he  first  settled,  on  Capon  River,  for  which  he  engaged  to  pay  either 
^200  or  ^250,  the  author  does  not  recollect  which  sum,  and  that  he  made 
every  dollar  of  the  money  by  sale  of  skins  and  furs,  the  game  being  killed 
or  caught  with  his  own  hands. 


FIRST  SETTI.EMENT  OF  THE  VALLEY.  55 


and  cattle.  The  author  was  told  by  Col.  J.  B.  Larue,  who  is  the 
owner  of  part  of  his  grandfather's  fine  landed  estate,  that  is  grand- 
father frequently  owned  between  ninety  and  one  hundred  head  of 
horses,  but  it  so  happened  that  he  never  could  get  his  stock  to  count 
a  hundred. 

The  Hites,  Frys,  Vanmeters,  and  many  others,  raised  vast 
stocks  of  horses,  cattle,  hogs,  &c.  Tradition  relates  that  Lord  Fair- 
fax, happening  one  day  in  Winchester  to  see  a  large  drove  of  unusu- 
ally fine  hogs  passing  through  the  town,  inquired  from  whence  they 
came.  Being  informed  that  they  were  from  the  mountains  west  of 
Winchester,  he  remarked  that  when  a  new  county  should  be  laid  off 
in  that  direction  it  ought  to  be  called  Hampshire,  after  a  county  in 
England,  celebrated  for  its  production  of  fine  hogs  ;  and  this,  it  is 
said,  gave  naraie  to  the  present  County  of  Hampshire. 

The  author  will  only  add  to  this  chapter,  that,  from  the  first 
settlement  of  the  Valley,  to  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  on  the  part 
of  the  French  and  Indians,  against  our  ancestors,  in  the  year  1754, 
our  country  rapidly  increased  in  numbers  and  the  acquisi- 
tion of  property,  without  interruption  from  the  natives,  a  period  of 
twenty-two  years. 

In  my  next  chapter  I  shall  give  a  brief  account  of  their  religion, 
habits  and  customs,  of  the  primitive  settlers. 


56 


RELIGION,  HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS 


CHAPTKR  V. 
REI.IGION,  HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  PRIMITIVE  SETTLERS. 

A  large  majority  of  our  first  immigrants  were  from  Pennsylvania, 
composed  of  native  Germans  or  German  extraction.  There  were, 
howevei,  a  number  directly  from  Germany,  several  from  Maryland 
and  New  Jersery,  and  a  few  from  New  York.  These  immigrants 
brought  with  them  the  religion,  habits  and  customs,  of  their  ances- 
tors. They  were  composed  generally  of  three  religious  sects,  viz  : 
Lutherans,  Menonists*  and  Calvanists,  with  a  few  Tunkers.  They 
generally  settled  in  the  neighborhoods  pretty  much  together. 

The  territor}^  now  composing  the  County  of  Page,  Powell's  Fort, 
and  Woodstock  Valley,  between  the  West  Fort  Mountain  and  North 
Mountain,  extending  from  the  neighborhood  of  Stephensburg  for  a 
considerable  distance  in  the  County  of  Rockingham,  was  almost  ex- 
clusively settled  by  Germans.  They  were  very  tenacious  in  the 
preservation  of  their  language,  religion,  customs  and  habits.  In 
what  is  now  Page  county  they  were  almost  exclusive  of  the  Men- 
onist  persuasion  ;  but  few  Lutherans  and  Calvanists  settled  among 
them.  In  other  sections  of  the  territory  above  described,  there  was 
a  mixture  of  Lutherans  and  Calvanists.  The  Menonists  were  re- 
markable for  their  strict  adherence  to  all  the  moral  and  religious 
observances  required  by  their  sect.  Their  children  were  early 
instructed  in  the  principles  and  ceremonies  of  their  religion,  habits 
and  customs.  They  were  generally  farmers,  and  took  great  care  of 
their  stock  of  different  kinds.  With  few  exceptions,  they  strictly 
inhibited  their  children  from  joining  in  the  dance  or  other  juvenile 
amusements  common  to  other  religious  sects  of  Germans. 

In  their  marriages  much  ceremony  was  observed  and  great 
preparations  made.  Fatted  calves,  lambs,  poultry,  the  finest  of 
bread,  butter,  milk,  honey,  domestic  sugar,  wine,  if  it  could  be  had  ; 
with  every  article  necessary  for  a  sumptous  feast  in  their  plain  way, 
were  prepared  in  abundance.  Previous  to  the  performance  of  the 
ceremony,  the  (clergymen  attending  at  the  place  appointed  for 
the  marriage),  four  of  the  most  respectable  young  females 
and  four  of  the  most  respectable  young  men  were  selected  as 
waiters  upon  the  bride  and  groom.  The  several  waiters  were 
decorated  with  badges,  to  indicate  their  offices.  The  groomsman,  as 
they  were  termed,  were  invariably  furnished  with  fine  white  aprons, 

*  Simon  Meno  was  one  of  the  earliest  German  reformers  and  the  founder 
of  this  sect. 


OF  THE  PRIMITIVE  SETTI.ERS.  57 

beautifully  embroidered.  It  was  deemed  a  liigh  honor  to  wear  the 
apron.  The  duty  of  the  waiters  consisted  in  not  only  waiting  on  the 
bride  and  groom,  but  they  were  required,  after  the  marriage  cere- 
mony was  performed,  to  serve  up  the  wedding  dinner,  and  to  guard 
and  protect  the  pride  while  at  dinner  from  having  her  shoe  stolen 
from  her  foot.  The  custom  of  stealing  the  bride's  shoe,  it  is  said, 
afforded  the  most  heartfelt  amusement  to  the  vvedding  guests.  To 
succeed  in  it,  the  greatest  dexterity  was  used  by  the  younger  part  of 
the  company,  while  equal  vigilance  was  manifested  by  the  waiters  to 
defend  her  against  the  theft ;  and  if  they  failed,  they  were  in  honor 
bound  to  pay  a  penalty  for  the  redemption  of  the  shoe.  This  pen- 
alty was  a  bottle  of  wine,  or  one  dollar,  which  was  commxonly  the 
price  of  a  bottle  of  wine ;  and  as  a  punishment  to  the  bride,  she  was 
not  permitted  to  dance  until  the  shoe  was  restored.  The  successful 
thief,  on  getting  hold  of  the  shoe,  held  it  up  in  great  triumph  to  the 
view  of  the  whole  assemblage,  which  was  generally  pretty  numerous. 
The  custom  was  continued  among  the  Germans  from  generation  to 
generation,  until  since  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  The  author 
has  conversed  with  many  individuals,  still  living,  who  were  eye-wit- 
nesses of  it. 

Throwing  the  stocking  was  another  custom  among  the  Ger- 
mans. *  When  the  bride  and  groom  were  bedded,  the  young  people 
were  admitted  into  the  room.  A  stocking,  rolled  into  a  ball,  was 
given  to  the  young  females,  who,  one  after  the  other,  would  go  to 
the  foot  of  the  bed,  stand  with  their  backs  toward  it,  and  throw  the 
stocking  over  their  shoulders  at  the  bride's  head  ;  and  the  first  that 
succeeded  in  touching  her  cap  or  head  was  the  next  to  be  married. 
The  young  men  then  threw  the  stocking  at  the  groom's  head,  in 
like  manner,  with  the  like  motive.  Hence  the  utmost  eagerness 
and  dexterity  were  used  in  throwing  the  stocking.  This  practice, 
as  well  as  that  of  stealing  the  bride's  shoe,  was  common  to  all  the 
Germans. 

Among  the  Lutherans  and  Calvanists,  dancing  and  other  amuse- 
ments was  common,  at  their  wedding  parties  particularly.  Dancing 
and  rejoicing  were  sometimes  kept  up  for  weeks  together,  f 

The  peaceable  and  orderly  deportment  of  this  hardy  and  indus- 
trious race  of  people,  together  with  their  perfect  submission  to  the 
restraints  of  the  civil  authority,  has  always  been  proverbial.  They 
form  at  this  day  a  most  valuable  part  of  our  community. 

Among  our  early  settlers,  a  number  of  Irish  Presbyterians  re- 
moved from  Pennsylvania,  and  settled  along  Back  Creek,  the  North 
Mountain  and  Opequon.  A  few  Scotch  and  English  families  were 
among  them. 

♦Throwing  the  stocking  was  not  enclusivelj'^  a  German  custom.  It  is 
celebrated  by  an  Irish  poet,  in  his  "  Irish  Wedding."  It  is  not  improbable 
but  it  was  common  to  the  Celtic  nations  also. 

f  Christian  Miller,  an  aged  and  respectable  man  near  Woodstock,  related 
this  custom  to  the  author. 

8 


58  RELIGION,  HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS 


The  ancestors  of  the  Glasses,  Aliens,  Vances,  Kerfotts,  &c., 
were  among  the  earliest  settles  on  the  upper  waters  of  the  Opequon. 
The  ancestors  of  the  Whites,  Russells,  &c.,  settled  near  the  North 
Mountain.  There  were  a  mixture  of  Irish  and  Germans  at  Cedar 
Creek  and  its  vicinity ;  the  Frys,  Newells,  Blackburns,  *  Wilsons, 
&c. ,  were  among  the  number.  The  Irish,  like  the  Germans,  brought 
with  them  the  religion,  customs  and  habits  of  their  ancestors.  The 
Irish  wedding  was  always  an  occasion  of  great  hilarity,  jollity  and 
mirth.  Among  other  scenes  attending  it,  running  for  the  bottle 
was  much  practiced.  It  was  usual  for  the  wedding  parties  to  ride  to 
the  residence  of  the  clergyman  to  have  the  ceremony  performed. 
In  their  absence  the  father,  or  the  next  friend,  prepared,  at  the 
bride's  residence,  a  bottle  of  the  best  spirits  that  could  be  obtained, 
around  the  neck  of  which  a  white  ribbon  was  tied.  Returning  from 
the  clergyman's,  when  within  one  or  two  miles  of  the  home 
of  the  bride,  some  three  or  four  young  men  prepared  to  run 
for  the  bottle.  Taking  an  even  start,  their  horses  were  put  at  full 
speed,  dashing  over  mud,  rocks,  stumps,  and  disregarding  all  im- 
pediments. The  race,  in  fact,  was  run  with  as  much  eagerness  and 
desire  to  win,  as  ever  was  manifested  on  the  turf,  by  our  sporting 
characters.  The  father  or  next  friend  of  the  bride,  expecting  the 
racers,  stood  v^^ith  the  bottle  in  his  hand,  ready  to  deliver  it  to  the 
successful  competitor.  On  receiving  it,  he  forthwith  returned  to 
meet  the  bride  and  groom.  When  met,  the  bottle  was  first  pre- 
sented to  the  bride,  who  must  taste  it  at  least,  next  to  the  groom, 
and  then  handed  round  to  the  company,  every  one  of  whom  was  re- 
quired to  swig  it. 

The  Quakers  differed  from  all  other  sects  in  their  marriage  cere- 
mony. The  parties  having  agreed  upon  the  match  notice  was 
given  to  the  elders  or  oversees  of  the  meeting,  and  a  strict  enquiry 
followed  whether  there  had  been  any  previous  engagements  by  either 
of  the  parties  or  other  individuals.  If  nothing  of  the  kind  appeared, 
the  intended  marriage  was  made  known  publicly;  and  if  approved  by 
all  parties,  the  couple  passed  meeting.  The  ceremony  was  repeated 
several  times  ;  when,  if  no  lawful  impediment  appeared,  a  day  was 
appointed  for  the  marriage,  which  took  place  at  the  meeting-house 
in  presence  of  the  congregation.  A  writing  drawn  up  between  the 
parties,  purporting  to  be  the  marriage  agreement,  witnessed  by  as 
many  of  the  bystanders  as  thought  proper  to  subscribe  their  names, 
concluded  the  ceremony.  They  had  no  priest  or  clergyman  to  per- 
form the  rite  of  matrimony,  and  the  whole  proceeding  was  con- 
ducted with  the  utmost  solemnity  and  decorum.  This  mode  of  mar- 
riage is  still  kept  up,  with  but  little  variation. 

Previous  to  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  it  was  the  practice  to 
publish  the  bands  of  matrimony,  between  the  parties  intending  to 
marry,  three  successive  Sabbath  days  in  the  church  or  meeting- 


*  Gen.  Samuel  Blackburn,  it  is  said,  descended  from  this  family. 


\ 


OF  THE  PRIMITIVE  SETTI.ERS. 


59 


house ;  after  which,  if  no  lawful  impediment  appeared,  it  was  law- 
ful for  a  licensed  minister  of  the  parish  or  county  to  join  the  parties 
in  wedlock.  It  is  probable  that  this  practice,  which  was  anciently 
used  in  the  English  churches,  gave  rise  to  the  custom,  to  the  Quaker 
Society,  of  passing  meeting.  The  peaceable  and  general  moral 
deportment  of  the  Quakers  is  too  generally  known  to  require  partic- 
ular notice  in  this  work. 

The  Baptists  were  not  among  the  eary  immigrants.  About 
fourteen  or  fifteen  families  of  that  persuasion  migrated  from  the 
state  of  New  Jersey,  and  settled  probably  in  1742  or  1743  in  the 
vicinity  of  what  is  now  called  Gerardstown,  in  the  County  of 
Berkeley.  ^ 

Mr.  Semple,  in  his  history  of  the  Virginia  Baptists,  states  that 
in  the  year  1754,  Mr.  Stearns,  a  preacher  of  this  sect,  with  several 
others,  removed  from  New  England.  They  halted  first  at  Ope- 
quon,  in  Berkeley  County,  Virginia,  where  he  formed  a  Baptist 
church  under  the  care  of  the  Rev.  John  Gerard."  This  was 
probably  the  first  Baptist  church  founded  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge  in 
our  State. 

It  is  said  that  the  spot  where  Tuscarora  meeting-house  now 
stands,  in  the  County  of  Berkeley,  is  the  first  place  where  the  gospel 
was  publicly  preached  and  divine  service  performed  west  of  the  Blue 
Ridge,  t    This  was  and  still  remains  a  Presbyterian  edifice. 

It  is  not  within  the  plan  of  this  work  to  give  a  general  history 
of  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  various  religious  societies  of  our 
country.  It  may  not,  however,  be  uninteresting  to  the  general 
reader  to  have  a  brief  sketch  of  the  difficulties  and  persecutions 
which  the  Quakers  and  Baptists  had  to  encounter  in  their  first  at- 
tempts to  propagate  their  doctrines  and  principles  in  Virginia. 

In  Hening's  Statutes  at  Earge,  vol.  i,  pp.  532-33,  the  follow- 
ing most  extraordinary  law,  if  indeed  it  deserves  the  name,  was  en- 
acted by  the  then  legislature  of  Virginia,  March,  1660  :  / 


*  Mr.  McCowan,  an  aged  and  respectable  citizen  of  the  neighborhood, 
communicated  this  fact  to  the  author. 

•f-  This  information  was  communicated  to  the  author  by  a  highly  respect- 
able old  lady  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  the  County  of  Berkeley.  She 
also  stated  that  in  addition  to  the  general  tradition,  she  had  lately  heard  the 
venerable  and  reverend  Dr.  Matthews  assert  the  fact.  Mr.  Mayers,  now  in 
his  eighty-seventh  year,  born  and  raised  on  the  Potomac,  in  Berkeley,  stated 
his  opinion  to  the  author,  that  there  was  a  house  erected  for  public  worship 
at  the  Falling  Water  about  the  same  time  that  the  Tuscarora  meeting-house 
was  built.  Both  these  churches  are  now  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev. 
James  M.  Brown. 


6o  REIvIGION,  HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS 


"an  act  for  the  suppressing  the  QUAKERS." 

Whereas  there  is  an  vnreasonable  and  turbulent  sort  of  peo- 
ple, commonly  called  Quakers,  who  contrary  to  the  lawe  do  dayly 
gather  together  vnto  them  vnlaw'll  assemblies  and  congregations  of 
people,  teaching  and  publishing  lies,  miracles,  false  visions,  prophe- 
cies and  doctrines,  which  have  influence  vpon  the  communities  of  men, 
bothe  ecclesticall  and  civil,  endeavouring  and  attempting  thereby 
to  destroy  religion,  lawes,  communities,  and  all  bonds  of  civil  sod'e- 
tie,  leaving  it  arbitrarie  to  everie  vaine  and  vitious  person,  whether 
men  shall  be  safe,  lawes  established,  offenders  punished,  an  govern- 
ours  rule,  hereby  disturbing  the  publique  peace  and  just  interest;  to 
prevent  and  restraine  which  mischiefe.  It  is  enacted,  That  no  master 
or  commander  of  anj^  shipp  or  other  vessell  do  bring  into  this  col- 
lonie  any  person  or  persons  called  Quakers,  vnder  the  penalty  of  one 
hundred  pounds  sterling,  to  be  levied  vpon  him  and  his  estate  by 
order  from  the  governour  and  councill,  or  the  commissioners  in  the 
severall  counties  where  such  ships  shall  arrive  :  That  all  such  Quak- 
ers as  have  been  questioned,  or  shall  hereafter  arrive,  shall  be  ap- 
prehended, wheresoever  they  shall  be  found,  and  they  be  imprisoned 
without  baile  or  mainprize,  till  they  do  adjure  this  country, or  putt  in 
security  with  all  speed  to  depart  from  the  collonie  and  not  to  return 
again  :  And  if  any  should  dare  to  presume  to  returne  hither  after 
such  departure,  be  proceeded  against  as  contemners  of  the  lawes  and 
magistracy,  and  punished  accordingly,  and  caused  againe  to  depart 
the  country,  and  if  they  should  the  third  time  be  so  audacious  and 
impudent  as  to  returne  hither,  to  be  proceeded  against  as  Uelons  : 
That  noe  person  shall  entertain  any  of  the  Quakers  that  have  here- 
tofore been  questioned,  by  the  governour  and  councill,  or  which  shall 
hereafter  be  questioned,  not  permit  in  or  near  his  house  any  assem- 
blies of  Quakers,  in  the  like  penalty  of  one  hundred  pounds  sterling: 
That  commissioners  and  officers  are  hereby  required  and  authorized, 
as  they  will  answer  the  contrary  at  their  perill,to  take  notice  of  this 
act,  to  see  it  fully  effected  and  executed  :  And  that  no  person  do 
presume  on  their  perill  to  dispose  or  publish  their  bookes,  pamplets 
or  libells,  bearing  the  title  of  their  tenents  and  opinions." 

This  high-handed  and  cruel  proceeding  took  place  in  the  time 
of  Oliver  Cromwell's  usurpation  in  England,  and  at  a  time  when 
some  glimmering  or  rational,  civil,  and  religious  liberty,  manifested 
itself  in  the  mother  country.  The  preamble  to  this  act  is  contra- 
dicted by  the  whole  history  of  Quakerism,  from  its  foundation  to  the 
present  period.  In  all  the  writings  and  traditional  accounts  handed 
down  to  us,  the  Quakers  are  represented  as  a  most  inoffensive,  or- 
derly, and  strictly  moral  people,  in  all  their  deportment  and  habits. 

This  unreasonable  and  unwise  legislation,  it  is  presumed,  was 
suffered  to  die  a  natural  death,  as,  in  the  progress  of  the  peopling 


OF  THE  PRIMITIVE  SETTLERS.  6i 


of  our  country,  we  find  that  many  Quakers,  at  a  pretty  early  period, 
migrated  and  formed  considerable  settlements  in  different  parts  of 
the  State. 

It  has  already  been  noticed  that  the  Baptists  were  not  among 
the  number  of  our  earliest  immigrants,  Mr.  Semple  says:  ''The 
Baptists  in  Virginia  originated  from  three  sources.  The  first  were 
immigrants  from  England,  who  about  the  year  17 14  settled  in  the 
southeast  part  of  the  State.  About  1743  another  party  came  from 
Maryland  and  founded  a  settlement  in  the  northwest.  ^  A  third 
party  from  New  England,  1754." 

This  last  was  Mr.  Stearns  and  his  party.  They  settled  for  a 
short  time  on  Capon  River,  in  the  Couut}^  of  Hampshire  but  soon 
removed  to  North  Carolina.  Mr.  Stearns  and  his  followers  mani- 
fested great  zeal  and  indnstr}^  in  the  propagation  of  their  doctrines 
and  principles.  Their  religion  soon  took  a  wide  range  in  the  Caro- 
linas  and  Virginia.  They  met  with  violent  opposition  from  the 
established  Episcopal  clergy,  and  much  persecution  followed.  To 
the  credit  of  the  people  of  our  Valley,  but  few,  if  any  acts  of  viol- 
ence were  committed  on  the  persons  of  the  preachers  west  of  the 
Blue  Ridge.  This  is  to  be  accounted  for  from  the  fact  that  a  great 
majority  of  the  inhabitants  were  dissenters  from  the  Episcopal 
church.  East  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  however,  the  case  was  widely  dif- 
ferent. It  was  quite  common  to  imprison  the  preachers,  insult  the 
congregations,  and  treat  them  with  every  possible  indignity  and  out- 
rage. Every  foul  means  was  resorted  to,  which  malice  and  hatred 
could  devise,  to  suppress  their  doctrines  and  religion.  But  instead  of 
success  this,  persecution  prod uced  directly  the  contrary  effect.  ' ' The 
first  instance/,'  says  Mr.  Semple,  "of  actual  imprisonment,  we  be- 
lieve, that  ever,  took  place  in  Virginia,  was  in  the  County  of  Spotts- 
ylvania.  On  the  4th  of  June,  1768,  John  Waller,  Lewis  Craig, 
James  Childs,  &c.,  were  seized  by  the  sheriff,  and  hauled  before 
three  magistrates,  who  stood  in  the  meeting-house  yard,  and  who 
bound,  them  in  the  penalty  of  ^1000  to  appear  at  court  two  days 
after.  -  At  court  they  were  arraigned  as  disturbers  of  the  peace,  and 
comiinitt^  to  close  jail."  And  in  December,  1770,  Messrs. 
William  Weber  and  Joseph  Anthony  were  imprisoned  in  Chester- 
field jail. 

The  author  deems  it  unnecessary  to  detail  all  the  cases  of  perse- 
cution and  imprisonment  of  the  Baptist  preachers.  He  will  there- 
fore conclude  this  narrative  with  the  account  of  the  violent  persecu- 
tion and  cruel  treatment  of  the  late  Rev.  James  Ireland,  a  very 
distinguished  Baptist  preacher  of  our  Valley. 

Mr.  Ireland  was  on  one  occasion  committed  to  the  jail  of  Cul- 


*It  is  probable  this  is  the  part}'-  who  settled  in  the  neighborhood  of  Ger- 
ardstown.  If  so,  Mr.  Semple  is  doubtless  misinformed  as  to  the  place  of 
their  origin.  The  first  Baptist  immigrants  who  settled  in  Berkeley  county 
were  certainly  from  New  Jersey. 


62  REIylGION,  HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS 


peper  county,  ^  when  several  attempts  were  made  to  destroy  him. 
Of  these  attempts  he  gives  the  following  narrative  : 

'  *  A  number  of  my  persecutors  resorted  to  the  tavern  of  Mr. 
Steward,  at  the  courthouse,  where  they  plotted  to  blow  me  up  with 
powder  that  night,  as  I  was  informed  ;  but  all  they  could  collect  was 
half  a  pound.  The}^  fixed  it  for  explosion,  expecting  I  was  sitting 
directly  over  it,  but  in  this  they  were  mistaken.  Fire  was  put  to  it, 
and  it  went  off  with  considerable  noise,  forcing  up  a  small  plank, 
from  which  I  received  no  damage.  The  next  scheme  they  devised 
was  to  smoke  me  with  brimstone  and  Indian  pepper.  They  had  to 
wait  certain  opportunities  to  accomplish  the  same.  The  lower  part 
of  the  jail  door  was  a  few  inches  above  its  sill.  When  the  wind  was 
favorable  they  would  get  pods  of  Indian  pepper,  empty  them  of 
their  contents,  and  fill  them  with  brimstone,  and  set  them  burning, 
so  that  the  whole  jail  would  be  filled  with  the  killing  smoke,  and 
oblige  me  to  2:0  to  cracks,  and  put  my  mouth  to  them  in  order  to 
prevent  suffocation.  At  length  a  certain  doctor  and  the  jailor  formed 
a  scheme  to  poison  me,  which  they  actually  effected." 

From  this  more  than  savage  cruelty  Mr.  Ireland  became  ex- 
tremely ill,  was  attended  by  several  physicians,  and  in  some  degree  re- 
stored to  health  and  activity  ;  but  he  never  entirely  recovered  from 
the  great  injury  which  his  constitution  received. 

The  author  had  the  satisfaction  of  an  intimate  personal  ac- 
quaintance with  Mr.  Ireland,  and  lived  a  near  neighbor  for 
several  years  before  his  death.  He  was  a  native  Scotchman  ;  of 
course  his  pronunciation  was  a  little  broad.  He  had  a  fine  com- 
manding voice,  easy  delivery,  with  a  beautiful  natural  elocution  in 
his  sermonizing.  His  language,  perhaps,  was  not  so  purely  classical 
as  some  of  his  cotemporaries  ;  but  such  was  his  powerful  elocution, 
particularly  on  the  subject  of  the  crucifixion  and  sufferings  of  our 
Saviour,  that  he  never  failed  to  cause  a  flood  of  tears  to  flow  from 
the  eyes  of  his  audience,  whenever  he  touched  that  theme.  In  his 
younger  years  he  was  industrious,  zealous,  sparing  no  pains  to  pro- 
pagate his  religious  opinions  and  principles,  and  was  very  successful 
in  gaining  proselytes;  hence  he  became  an  object  of  great  resentment 
to  the  established  clerg}^  and  they  resorted  to  every  means  within 
their  reach  to  silence  and  put  him  down.  But  in  this  they  failed. 
He  at  length  triumphed  over  his  persecutors,  was  instrumental  in 
founding  several  churches. 

ORIGIN  OF  THE  METHODIST  REIvIGION  IN  OUR  VAI^LEY. 

About  the  year  1775  f  two  traveling  strangers  called  at  the  resi- 
dence of  the  late  Maj.  Lewis  Stephens,  the  proprietor  and  founder  of 

*In  the  life  of  Ireland,  no  dates  are  given.  The  time  of  his  commit- 
ment was  probably  about  the  year  1771  or  1772. 

f  The  author  is  not  positive  that  he  is  correct  as  to  the  time  this  occur- 
rence took  place,  but  has  been  informed  it  was  just  before  the  commence- 


OF  THE  PRIMITIVE  SETTLERS. 


63 


the  town,  now  distinguished  in  the  mail  establishment  as  Newton- 
Stephensburg, "  and  enquired  if  they  could  obtain  quarters  for  the 
night.  Maj.  Stephens  happened  to  be  absent;  but  Mrs.  Stephens, 
who  was  remarkable  for  hospitality  and  religious  impressions,  in- 
formed them  that  they  could  be  accommodated.  One  of  them  ob- 
served to  her,  We  are  preachers  ;  and  the  next  day  being  Sabbath, 
we  will  have  to  remain  with  you  until  Monday  morning,  as  we  do 
not  travel  on  the  Sabbath."  To  which  the  old  lady  replied,  "if  you 
are  preachers,  you  are  the  more  welcome." 

John  Hagerty  and  Richard  Owens  were  the  names  of  the  preach- 
ers. The  next  morning  notice  was  sent  through  town,  and  the 
strangers  delivered  sermons.  This  was  doubtless  the  first  Methodist 
preaching  ever  heard  in  our  Valley.  It  is  said  they  traveled  east  of 
the  Blue  Ridge,  (before  they  reached  Stephensburg) ,  on  a  preaching 
tour,  and  probably  crossed  the  Ridge  at  some  place  south  of 
Stephensburg. 

A  number  of  the  people  were  much  pleased  with  them,  and  they 
soon  got  up  a  small  church  at  this  place.  The  late  John  Hite,  Jr., 
his  sister,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Hughes,  (then  a  widow),  John  Taylor  and 
wife,  lycwis  Stephens,  Sr.,  and  wife,  Lewis  Stephens,  Jr.,  and  wife, 
and  several  others  joined  the  church,  and  in  a  few  years  it  began  to 
flourish.  The  rapid  spread  of  this  sect  throughout  our  country, 
needs  no  remarks  from  the  author. 

The  first  Camp  Meeting  held  in  our  Valley,  within  the  author's 
recollection,  took  place  at  what  is  called  Chrisman's  Spring,  about 
two  miles  south  of  Stephensburg,  on  the  great  highway  from  Win- 
chester to  Staunton.  This  was  probably  the  month  of  August, 
1806.  It  has  been  stated  to  the  author,  that  the  practice  of  Camp 
Meetings  originated  with  a  Baptist  preacher  somewhere  about  the 
James  River.  It  is  said  he  was  a  man  of  great  abilities  and  trans- 
cendant  elocution  ;  he  however  became  too  much  of  an  Armenian  in 
his  doctrine  to  please  the  generalit}^  of  his  brethern,  and  they  ex- 
communicated him  from  their  church,  and  attempted  to  silence  him, 
but  he  would  not  consent  to  be  silenced  by  them,  and  they  refused 
him  permission  to  preach  in  their  meeting-houses,  and  he  adopted 
the  plan  of  appointing  meetings  in  the  forest,  where  vast  crowds  of 
people  attended  his  preachings,  and  they  soon  got  up  the  practice  of 
forming  encampments.  The  author  cannot  vouch  for  the  truth  of 
this  statement,  but  recollects  it  was  communicated  to  him  by  a  highly 
respectable  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 

In  the  year  1836,  the  author  traveled  through  the  Southwest 
counties  on  a  tour  of  observation — he  frequently  passed  places  where 
Camp  Meetings  had  been  held  ;  they  are  sometimes  seen  in  dense 
forests,  and  some  of  them  had  the  appearance  of  having  been  aban- 
doned or  disused  for  a  considerable  time.    The  author,  however, 

ment  of  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  The  later  Dr.  Tilden  communicated 
this  information  to  the  author — which  he  stated  he  learned  from  Mrs. 
Stephens. 


64 


RELIGION,  HABITS,  CUSTOMS,  ETC. 


passed  one  in  Giles  county  which  was  the  best  fixed  for  the  purpose 
he  has  ever  seen.  There  is  a  large  frame  building  erected,  probably 
spacious  enough  to  shelter  2000  people  or  upwards,  w^ith  a  strong 
shingled  roof,  and  some  twelve  or  fifteen  log  houses,  covered  also 
with  shingles,  for  the  accommodation  of  visitors.  A  meeting  had 
just  been  held  at  this  place  some  two  or  three  days  before  he  passed 
it,  at  which,  he  was  informed,  several  thousand  people  had  attended. 
It  is  situated  very  convenient  to  a  most  charming  Spring  of  delight- 
ful water,  and  stands  on  high  ground.  Its  location  is  certainly  very 
judicially  selected  for  the  purpose. 


BREAKING  OUT  OF  THE  INDIAN  WAR.  65 


CHAPTER 

BREAKING  OUT  OF  THE  INDIAN  WAR. 

It  has  been  noticed  in  a  preceding  chapter,  that  in  the  3'ear 
1753,  emissaries  from  the  Western  Indians  came  among  the  Valley 
Indians  invitnig  them  to  cross  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  and  that 
in  the  spring  of  the  year  1754,  the  Indians  suddenly  and  unexpect- 
edly moved  off,  and  entirely  left  the  Valley. 

That  this  movement  of  the  Indians  was  made  under  the  influ- 
ence of  the  French,  there  is  but  little  doubt.  In  the  yean 753,  Maj. 
Geo.  Washington,  (since  the  illustrious  Gen.  Washington),  was 
sent  by  Governor  Dinwiddle,  the  then  Colonial  Governor  of  Virginia, 
with  a  letter  to  the  French  commander  on  the  western  waters,  re- 
monstrating against  his  encroachments  upon  the  territory  of  Vir- 
ginia. This  letter  of  remonstrance  was  disregarded  by  the  French- 
man, and  very  soon  afterwards  the  war,  commonly  called  Brad- 
dock's  War,"  between  the  British  government  and  France  com- 
menced. In  the  year  1754,  the  government  of  Virginia  raised  an 
armed  force  with  the  intention  of  dislodging  the  French  from  their 
fortified  places  within  the  limits  of  the  colony.  The  command  of 
this  army  was  given  to  Col.  Fr}^  and  George  Washington  was 
appointed  a  Lieutenant-colonel  under  him.  This  little  army  amount- 
ed to  three  hundred  men.  "  Washington  advanced  at  the  head  of 
two  companies  of  his  regiment,  early  in  April,  to  the  Great  Mea- 
dows, where  he  was  informed  by  some  friendly  Indians,  that  the 
French  were  erecting  fortifications  in  the  Forks  between  the  Alle- 
ghany and  Monongahela  Rivers,  and  also  that  a  detachment  was  on 
its  march  from  that  place  towards  the  Great  Meadows.  War  had 
not  been  formally  declared  between  France  and  England,  but  as 
neither  was  disposed  to  recede  from  their  claims  to  the  lands  on  the 
Ohio,  it  was  deemed  inevitable,  and  on  the  point  of  commencing. 
Several  circumstances  were  supposed  to  indicate  a  hostile  intention 
on  the  part  of  the  French  detachment.  Washington,  under  the 
guidance  of  some  friendly  Indians,  on  a  dark  rainy  night  surprised 
their  encampment,  and  firing  once,  rushed  in  and  surrounding  them. 
The  commander,  Dumonville,  was  killed,  with  eight  or  nine  others  ; 
one  escaped,  and  all  the  rest  immediately  surrendered.  Soon  after 
this  affair,  Col.  Fry  died,  and  the  command  of  the  regiment  de- 
volved on  Washington,  who  speedily  collected  the  whole  at  the  Great 
Meadows.  Two  independent  companies  of  regulars,  one  from  South 
Carolina,  soon  arrived  at  the  same  place.  Col.  Washington  was  now 
at  the  head  of  nearly  four  hundred  men.    A  stockade,  aften\'ards 

9 


66  BREAKING  OUT  OF  THE  INDIAN  WAR. 


called  Fort  Necessity,  was  erected  at  the  Great  Meadows,  in  which 
a  small  force  was  left,  and  the  main  body  advanced  with  a  view  to 
dislodging  the  French  from  Fort  Duquesne,*  which  they  had  recently 
erected  at  the  confluence  of  the  Alleghany  and  Monongahela  Rivers. 
They  had  not  proceeded  more  than  thirteen  miles,  when  they  were 
informed  by  friendly  Indians  that  the  French,  as  numerous  as  pig- 
eons in  the  woods,  were  advancing  in  an  hostile  manner  towards  the 
English  settlements,  and  also  that  Fort  Duquesne  had  been  strongly 
reinforced.  In  this  critical  situation,  a  council  of  war  unanimously 
recommended  a  retreat  to  the  Great  MeadoTvs,  which  was  effected 
without  delay,  and  every  exertion  made  to  render  Fort  Necessity 
tenable,  before  the  works  intended  for  that  purpose  was  completed, 
Mons.  de  Villier,  with  a  considerable  force,  attacked  the  Fort.  The 
assailants  were  covered  by  trees  and  high  grass,  f  The  Americans 
received  them  with  great  resolution,  and  fought,  some  within  the 
stockade,  and  others  in  the  surrounding  ditch.  Washington  con- 
tinued the  whole  day  on  the  outside  of  the  Fort,  and  conducted  the 
defense  with  the  greatest  coolness  and  intripidity.  The  engagement 
lasted  from  lo  o'clock  in  the  morning  till  night,  when  the  French 
commander  demanded  a  parley  and  offered  terms  of  capitulations. 
His  first  and  second  proposals  were  rejected,  and  Washington  would 
accept  of  none  but  the  following  honorable  one,  which  were  mutu- 
ally agreed  upon  in  the  course  of  the  night :  The  Fort  to  be  surren- 
dered on  condition  that  the  garrison  should  march  out  with  the 
honors  of  war,  and  be  permitted  to  retain  their  arms  and  baggage, 
and  march  unmolested  into  the  inhabited  parts  of  Virginia.  J 

In  1 755  the  British  government  sent  Gen.  Braddock,  at  the  head 
of  two  regiments,  to  this  country.  Col.  Washington  had  previousl};' 
resigned  the  command  of  the  Virginia  troops.  Braddock  invited 
him  to  join  the  service  as  one  of  the  volunteer  aids,  which  invitation 
he  readily  accepted,  and  joined  Braddock  near  Alexandria.  §  The 
army  moved  on  for  the  west :  and  in  their  march  out  erected  Fort 
Cumberland.  ||    The  circumstances  attending  the  unfortunate  defeat 


*  Fort  Duquesne,  so  called  in  honor  of  the  French  commander,  was, 
after  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  EngHsh  called  Fort  Pitt,  and  is  now  Pitts- 
burg. 

f  It  is  presumable  that  the  grass  here  spoken  of  by  Dr.  Ramsey  was  of 
the  growth  of  the  preceding  year.  It  is  not  probable  that  the  grass,  the 
growth  of  the  year  1754,  so  early  in  the  season,  bad  grown  of  sufficient 
height  to  conceal  a  man. 

X  Ramsey's  Life  of  Washington. 

§  Then  called  Bellhaven. 

B  Fort  Cumberland  was  built  in  the  year  1755,  in  the  Fork,  between  Wills 
Creek  and  North  Branch  of  the  Potomac,  the  remains  of  whicn  are  yet  to 
be  seen.  It  is  about  fifty-five  miles  northwest  of  Winchester,  on  the  Mary- 
land side  of  the  Potomac.  There  is  now  a  considerable  town  at  this  place. 
The  garrison  left  as  it  was  commanded  by  Maj.  Livingston.  Mr.  John  Tom- 
linson  gave  the  author  this  information.  On  the  ancient  site  of  the  Fort, 
there  are  several  dwelling  houses,  and  a  new  brick  Episcopal  church. 


BREAKING  OUT  OF  THE  INDIAN  WAR.  67 


of  Braddock,  and  the  dreadful  slaughter  ot  his  arm 5^  near  Pittsburg, 
are  too  generally  known  to  require  a  detailed  account  of  this  work  ; 
suffice  it  to  sa}'-  that  the  defeat  was  attended  with  the  most  disas- 
trous consequences  to  our  country.  The  whole  western  frontier  was 
left  exposed  to  the  ravages  of  the  forces  of  the  French  and  Indians 
combined. 

After  the  defeat  and  fall  of  Braddock,  Col.  Dunbar,  the  next  in 
command  of  the  British  sumy,  retreated  to  Philadelphia,  and  the  de- 
fense of  the  country  fell  upon  Washington,  with  the  few  troops  the 
qgjonies  were  able  to  raise.  The  people  forthwith  erected  stockade 
forts  in  every  part  of  the  Valley,  and  took  shelter  in  them.  Many 
families  were  driven  oft,  some  east  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  others 
into  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania. 

Immediately  after  the  defea1:of  Braddock,  Washington  retreated 
to  Winchester  in  the  County  of  Frederick,  and  in  the  autumn  of 
1755  built  Fort  Loudoun.  The  venerable  and  highly  respectable 
lycwis  Neill,  who  was  bora  on  Opequon,  about  five  miles  east  of 
Winchester,  in  1747,  stated  to  the  author,  that  when  he  was  about 
eight  years  of  age  his  father  had  business  at  the  Fon,  and  that  he 
went  with  him  into  it.  Mr.  Thomas  Barrett  another  aged  and 
respectable  citizen  states,  that  he  has  often  heard  his  father  say,  that 
Fort  Loudoun  was  built  the  same  year  and  immediately  after  Brad- 
dock's  defeat.  Our  highly  respectable  and  venerable  general,  John 
Smith,  who  settled  in  Winchester  in  1773,  informed  the  author  that 
he  had  seen  and  conversed  with  some  of  Washington's  officers  soon 
after  he  settled  in  Winchester,  and  they  stated  to  him  that  Wash- 
ington marked  out  the  site  of  the  Fort,  and  superintended  the  work  ; 
that  he  bought  a  lot  in  Winchester,  erected  a  smith's  shop  on  it,  and 
brought  from  Mount  Vernon  his  own  blacksmith  to  make  the  neces- 
sary iron  work  for  the  Fort.  These  officers  pointed  out  to  Gen. 
Smith  the  spot  where  General  Washington's  huts  or  cabins  where 
erected  for  his  residence  while  in  the  Fort.  The  great  highway 
leading  from  Winchester  to  the  north,  passes  through  the  Fort  pre- 
cisely where  Washington's  quarters  were  erected.  It  stands  at  the 
north  end  of  Loudoun  street,  and  a  considerable  part  of  the 
walls  are  now  remaining.  It  covered  an  era  of  about  half 
an  acre,  within  which  area,  a  well,  one  hundred  and  three 
feet  deep,  chiefly  through  a  solid  limestone  rock,  was  sunk 
for  the  convenience  of  the  garrison.  *  The  labor  of  throwing 
up  this  Fort  was  performed  by  Washington's  regiment ;  so  says 
Gen.  Smith.  It  mounted  six  eighteen  pounders,  six  twelve  pound- 
ers, six  six-pounders,  four  swivels,  and  two  howitzers,  and  contain- 
ed a  strong  garrison,  f    No  formidable  attempts  were  ever  made 

*  The  water  in  this  well  rises  near  the  surface,  and  in  great  floods  of  rain 
has  been  known  to  overflow  and  discharge  a  considerable  stream  of  water. 
The  site  of  the  fort  is  upon  more  elevated  ground  than  the  head  of  any 
springs  in  the  neighborhood.  Upon  what  principle  the  water  should  here 
rise  above  the  surface  the  author  cannot  pretend  to  explain. 

I  Gen*  John  Smith  stated  this  fact  to  the  author.    The  cannon  were  re- 


68  BREAKING  OUT  OF  THE  INDIAN  WAR. 


by  the  enemy  against  it.  A  French  officer  once  came  to  reconnoi- 
ter,  and  found  it  too  strong  to  be  attacked  with  any  probability  of 
success.  * 

For  three  years  after  the  defeat  of  Braddock,  the  French  and 
Indians  combined,  carried  on  a  most  destructive  and  cruel  war  upon 
the  western  people.  The  French,  however,  in  about  three  years 
after  Braddock's  defeat  abandoned  Fort  Duquesne,  and  it  was  im- 
mediately taken  possession  of  by  the  British  and  Colonial  troops 
under  the  command  of  Gen.  Forbes.  Washington  soon  after  re- 
signed the  command  of  the  Virginia  forces,  and  retired  to  privat^ 
life.  A  predatory  warfare  was  nevertheless  continued  on  the  people 
of  the  Valley  by  hostile  Indian  tribes  for  several  years  after  the 
French  had  been  driven  from  their  strongholds  in  the  west ;  the  par- 
ticulars of  which  will  form  the  subject  for  my  next  chapter. 

moved  from  Winchester  early  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  Some  further 
account  of  this  artillery  will  be  given  in  a  future  chapter.  Mr.  Henry  W. 
Baker,  of  Winchester,  gave  the  author  an  account  of  the  number  of  cannon 
mounted  on  the  Fort. 

*  William  L.  Clark,  Esq.,  is  now  the  owner  of  the  land  including  this 
ancient  fortification,  and  has  converted  a  part  of  it  into  a  beautiful  pleasure 
garden. 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES.  69 


CHAPTER  VII. 

INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 

After  the  defeat  of  Braddock,  the  whole  western  frontier  was 
left  exposed  to  the  incursions  of  the  Indians  and  French  in  the  spring 
of  the  year,  1756,  a  party  of  about  fifty  Indians,  with  a  French  cap- 
tain at  their  head,  crossed  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  committing  on 
the  white  settlers  every  act  of  barbarous  war.  Capt.  Jeremiah 
Smith,  raised  a  party  of  twenty  brave  men,  marched  to  meet  this 
savage  foe,  and  fell  in  with  them  at  the  head  of  Capon  River,  when 
a  fierce  and  bloody  battle  was  fought.  Smith  killed  the  captain 
with  his  own  hand  ;  five  other  Indians  have  fallen,  and  a  number 
w^ounded,  they  gave  way  and  fled.  Smith  lost  two  of  his  men.  On 
searching  the  body  of  the  Frenchman,  he  was  found  in  possession  of 
his  commission  and  written  instructions  to  m.eet  another  party  of 
about  fifty  Indians  at  Fort  Frederick,  *  to  attack  the  Fort,  destroy 
it,  and  blow  up  the  magazine. 

The  other  party  of  Indians  were  encountered  pretty  low  down 
the  North  Branch  of  the  Capon  River,  by  Capt.  Joshua  Lewis, 
at  the  head  of  eighteen  men  ;  one  Indian  was  killed  when  the  others 
broke  and  ran  off.  Previous  to  the  defeat  of  this  party  they  had 
committed  considerable  destruction  of  the  property  of  the  white  set- 
tlers, and  took  a  Mrs.  Horner  and  a  girl  about  thirteen  years  of  age 
prisoners.  Mrs.  Horner  was  the  mother  of  seven  or  eight  children  ! 
she  never  got  back  to  her  family.  The  girl,  whose  name  was  Sarah 
Gibbons  the  sister  of  my  informant,  f  was  a  prisoner  about  eight 
or  nine  years  before  she  returned  home.  The  intention  of  attacking 
Fort  Frederick  was  of  course  abandoned. 


*  Fort  Frederick  was  commenced  in  the  year  1755,  under  the  direction  of 
Gov.  Sharp,  of  Maryland,  and  was  probably  finished  in  1776.  It  is  still 
standing  on  the  Maryland  side  of  the  Conhongoruton.  Its  walls  are  entirely 
of  stone,  four  and  a  half  feet  thick  at  the  base,  and  three  at  the  top  ;  they 
are  at  least  twenty  feet  high,  and  have  undergone  but  little  dilapidation. 
Dr.  John  Hedges  and  his  son,  Capt.  John  C.  Hedges,  aided  the  author  in  the 
examination  of  this  place,  and  measuring  its  area,  height  and  thickness  of 
the  walls.  Its  location  is  not  more  than  twelve  miles  from  Martinsburg,  in 
Virginia,  and  about  the  same  distance  from  Williamsport  in  Maryland.  It 
encloses  an  era  of  about  one  and-a-half  acres,  exclusive  of  the  bastions  or 
redoubts.  It  is  said  the  erection  of  this  Fort  cost  about  sixty-five  thousand 
pounds  sterling. 

f  Mr.  Jacob  Gibbons  was  born  the  loth  of  September,  1745.  Since  the 
author  saw  him,  he  has  departed  this  life — an  honest,  good  old  man. 


1 


t 


70  INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 

Those  Indians  dispersed  into  small  parties,  and  carried  the  work 
of  death  and  desolation  into  several  neighborhoods,  in  the  counties, 
now  Berkeley,  Frederick  and  Shenandoah.  About  eighteen  or 
twenty  of  them  crossed  the  North  Mountain  at  Mills  Gap,  which  is 
in  the  County  of  Berkeley,  killed  a  man  by  the  name  of  Kelh^,  and 
several  of  his  family,  within  a  few  steps  of  the  present  dwelling 
house  of  the  late  Mr.  William  Wilson,  not  more  than  half  a  mile 
from  Gerardstown,  and  from  thence  passed  on  to  the  neighborhood 
of  the  present  site  of  Martinsburg,  the  neighboring  people  generally- 
taking  shelter  in  John  Evans'  Fort.  ^  A  small  party  of  the  Indians 
attacked  the  dwelling  house  of  Mr.  Evans,  brother  of  the  owner 
of  the  Fort ;  but  being  beaten  off,  they  went  in  pursuit  of  reinforce- 
ments. In  their  absence  Mr.  Evans  and  his  family  got  safe  to  the 
Fort.  The  Indians  returned  and  set  fire  to  the  house,  the  ruins  of 
which  are  now  to  be  seen  from  the  great  road  leading  to  Winches- 
ter, three  miles  south  of  Martinsburg,  at  the  head  of  what  is  called 
the  Big  Spring. 

The  same  Indians  took  a  female  prisoner  on  the  same  day  at 
John  Strode' s  house.  A  boy  by  the  name  of  Hackney,  who  was  on 
^  his  way  to  the  Fort,  saw  her  previously,  and  advised  her  not  to  go 
to  the  house,  saying  that  Strode's  family  had  all  gone  to  the  Fort, 
and  that  he  suspected  the  Indians  were  then  in  the  house.  She, 
however,  seeing  smoke  at  the  house,  disregarded  the  advice  of  the 
little  boy,  went  to  it,  was  seized  by  the  Indians,  taken  off,  and  was 
about  three  years  a  prisoner,  but  finally  got  home.  The  boy  went 
to  the  Fort  and  told  what  had  happened  ;  but  the  men  had  all 
turned  out  to  bury  Kelly  and  go  in  pursuit  of  the  Indians,  leaving 
nobody  to  defend  the  Fort  but  women  and  children.  Mrs.  Evans 
armed  herself,  and  called  on  all  the  women,  who  had  firmness 
enough  to  arm,  to  join  her,  and  such  as  were  too  timid  she  ordered 
to  run  bullets.  She  then  made  a  boy  beat  to  arms  on  a  drum  ;  on 
hearing  which  the  Indians  became  alarmed,  set  fire  to  Strode's 
house,  t  and  moved  off.  They  discovered  the  party  of  white  men 
just  mentioned,  and  fired  upon  them,  but  did  no  injury.  The 
latter  finding  the  Indians  too  strong  for  them,  retreated  into  the 
Fort.  X 

From  thence  the  Indians  passed  on  to  Opequon,  and  the  next 
morning  attacked  Neally's  Fort,  massacred  most  of  the  people,  and 
took  off  several  prisoners ;  among  them  George  Stockton  and  Isa- 
bella, his  sister.  Charles  Potterfield,  a  youth  about  20  years  of  age, 
heard  the  firing  from  his  father's  residence,  about  one  mile  from  the 


*  Evans'  Fort  was  erected  within  about  two  miles  of  Martinsburg,  a 
stockade.    The  land  is  now  owned  by  Fryatt,  Esq. 

\  The  present  residence  of  the  widow  Showalter,  three  miles  from  Mar- 
tinsburg. 

X  Mr.  Joseph  Hackney,  Frederick  county,  states  these  facts  to  the  au- 
thor. The  little  boy,  mentioned  above,  grew  up,  married,  was  a  Quaker  by 
profession,  and  the  father  of  my  informant. 


/ 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES.  71 

Fort,  armed  himself  and  set  off  with  all  speed  to  the  Fort,  but  on  his 
way  was  killed.  ^ 

Among  the  prisoners  were,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Cohoon,  his 
wife,  and  some  of  his  children.  Mrs.  Cohoon  was  in  a  state  of 
pregnancy,  and  not  being  able  to  travei  fast  enough  to  please  her 
savage  captors,  they  forced  her  husband  forward,  while  crossing 
the  North  Mountain,  and  cruelly  murdered  her  ;  her  husband  dis- 
tinctly heard  her  screams.  Cohoon,  however,  that  night  made  his 
escape,  and  got  safely  back  to  his  friends.  George  Stockton,  and 
his  sister,  Isabella,  who,  were  also  among  the  prisoners,  w^ere  taken 
to  the  Indian  towns.  Isabella  was  eight  or  nine  years  of  age,  and 
her  story  is  as  remarkable  as  it  is  interesting.  She  was  detained  and 
grew  up  among  the  savages.  Being  a  beautiful  and  interesting  girl, 
they  sold  her  to  a  Canadian  in  Canada,  where  a  young  Frenchman, 
named  Plata,  soon  became  acquainted  w4th  her,  and  made  her  a  ten- 
der of  his  hand  in  matrimon}'.  f  This  she  declined  unless  her 
parents'  consent  could  be  obtained  ;  a  strong  proof  of  her  filial  affec- 
tion and  good  sense.  The  Frenchman  immediately  proposed  to  con- 
duct her  home,  readilj^  believing  that  his  generous  devotion  and 
great  attention  to  the  daughter  would  lay  the  parents  under  such 
high  obligation  to  him,  that  they  would  willingl)-  consent  to  the 
union.  But  such  were  the  strong  prejudices  existing  at  the  time 
against  everything  French,  that  her  parents  and  friends  peremporily 
objected.  The  Frenchman  then  prevailed  on  Isabella  to  elope  with 
him  ;  to  effect  which  she  secured  two  of  her  father's  horses  and 
pushed  off.  They  were,  however,  pursued  by  two  of  her  brothers, 
overtaken,  at  Hunterstown,  Pennsylvania,  and  Isabella  forcibly  torn 
from  her  protector  and  devoted  lover,  and  brought  back  to  her  par- 
ents, while  the  poor  Frenchman  was  warned  that  if  he  ever  made 
any  further  attempts  to  take  her  off,  his  life  would  pay  the  forfeit. 
This  story  is  familiar  to  several  aged  and  respectable  individuals  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Martinsburg.  Isabella  afterwards  married  a 
man  by  the  name  of  McClar}^,  removed  and  settled  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Morgantown,  and  grew  wealthy.  George,  after  an  absence 
of  three  3^ears  got  home  also. 

A  party  of  fourteen  Indians,  believed  to  be  a  part  of  those  de- 
feated by  Capt.  Smith,  on  their  return  to  the  west  killed  a  young 
woman,  and  took  a  Mrs.  Neff  prisoner.  This  was  on  the  South 
Fork  of  the  River  Wappatomaka.  They  cut  ofF  Mrs.  Neff 's  petticoat 
up  to  her  knees,  and  gave  her  a  pair  of  moccasins  to  wear  on  her  feet. 
This  was  done  to  facilitate  her  traveling  ;  but  they  proceeded  no  fur- 


*  George  Porterfield,  Esq.,  now  residing  in  the  County  of  Berkeley,  is  a 
brother  of  the  youth  who  was  killed,  and  stated  to  the  author  the  particulars 
of  this  unhappy  occurrence.  Capt.  Glenn  also  stated  several  of  the  circum- 
stances to  the  author. 

f  Mr.  Mayers,  of  Berkeley  county,  gave  the  author  the  name  of  this 
young  Frenchman. 


72  INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 


ther  than  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Pleasant,  *  where  on  the  second  night, 
they  left  Mrs.  Neff  in  the  custody  of  an  old  Indian,  and  divided 
themselves  into  parties,  in  order  to  watch  the  Fort.  At  a  late  hour 
in  the  night,  Mrs.  Neif  discovered  that  her  guard  was  pretty  soundly 
asleep,  ran  off.  The  old  fellow  very  soon  awoke,  fired  off  his  gun, 
and  raised  a  yell.  Mrs.  Neff  ran  between  the  two  parties  of  Indians, 
got  safely  into  Fort  Pleasant,  and  gave  notice  where  the  Indians 
were  encamped.  A  small  party  of  men,  the  same  evening  came  from 
another  small  Fort  a  few  miles  above,  and  joined  their  friends  in  Fort 
Pleasant.  The  Indians,  after  the  escape  of  Mrs.  Neff,  had  collected 
into  one  body  in  a  deep  glen,  near  the  Fort.  Early  the  next  morn- 
ing, sixteen  men,  well  mounted  and  armed,  left  the  Fort  with  a  view 
to  attack  the  Indians.  They  soon  discovered  their  encampment. 
The  whites  divided  themselves  into  two  parties,  intending  to  inclose 
the  Indians  between  two  fires  ;  but  unfortunately  a  small  dog  w^hich 
had  followed  them,  starting  a  rabbit,  his  3'ell  alarming  the  Indians  ; 
upon  which  they  cautiously  moved  off,  passed  betv/een  the  two  par- 
ties of  white  men  unobserved,  and  took  a  position  between  them  and 
their  horses,  and  opened  a  most  destructive  fire.  The  whites  re- 
turned the  fire  with  great  firmness  and  bravery,  and  a  desparateand 
bloody  conflict  ensued.  Seven  of  the  whites  fell  dead  and  fourw^ere 
wounded.  The  little  remnant  retreated  to  the  Fort,  whether  the 
wounded  arrived.  Three  Indians  fell  in  this  battle,  and  several  were 
wounded.  The  victors  secured  the  white  men's  horses,  and  took 
them  off.  t 

Just  before  the  above  action  commenced,  Mr.  Vanmeter,  an  old 
man,  mounted  his  horse,  rode  to  a  high  ridge,  and  witnessed  the 
battle.  He  returned  with  all  speed  to  the  Fort,  and  gave  notice  of 
the  defeat.    The  old  man  was  killed  by  the  Indians  in  1757. 

After  committing  to  writing  the  foregoing  account,  the  author 
received  from  his  friend  Dr.  Charles  A.  Turley,  of  Fort  Pleasant,  a 
more  particular  narrative  of  the  battle,  v/hich  the  author  will  sub- 
join in  the  doctor's  own  words. 

'  'The  memorable  battle  of  The  Trough  (says  Dr.  Turley) was  pre- 
ceded by  the  following  circumstances.  On  the  day  previous,  two  In- 
dian strollers,  from  a  large  party  of  sixt\^  or  seventy  warriors,  under 
the  well-known  and  ferocious  chief,  Kill-buck,  made  an  attack  upon 
the  dwelling  of  a  Mrs.  Brake,  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  South  Branch 
of  the  Potomac,  about  fifteen  miles  above  Moorefield,  and  took  Mrs. 
Brake  and  a  Mrs.  Neff  prisoners.    The  former  not  being  able  to 


*  Fort  Pleasant  was  a  strong  stockade  with  a  block-house,  erected  on  the 
land  now  owned  by  Isaac  Vanmeter,  Esq.,  on  the  South  Branch  of  the  Poto- 
mac, a  short  distance  above  what  is  called  The  Trough. 

f  The  battle  is  called  the  "Battle  of  the  Trough."  Messrs.  Vanmeter, 
McNeill  and  Heath,  detailed  the  particulars  to  the  author.  A  block  house, 
with  port  holes,  is  now  standing  in  Mr.  D.  McNeill's  yard,  part  of  an  old 
P'ort  erected  at  the  time  of  Braddock's  war,  the  logs  of  which  are  principal- 
ly sound. 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES.  73 


travel  from  her  situation  was  tomahawked  and  scalped,  and  the 
latter  brought  down  to  the  vicinity  of  Town  Fort,  about  one  and  a 
half  miles  below  Moorefield.  There,  one  of  the  Indians,  under  the 
pretense  of  hunting,  retired,  and  the  other  laid  himself  down  and 
pretened  to  fall  asleep,  with  a  view,  as  was  believed,  to  let  Mrs. 
Neff  escape  to  the  Fort,  and  give  the  alarm.  Everything  turned  out 
agreeably  to  their  expectations  ;  for  as  soon  as  she  reached  the  Fort, 
and  related  the  circumstances  of  her  escape,  eighteen  men  from  that 
and  Buttermilk  Fort,  five  miles  above,  went  in  pursuit.  They  were 
men  notorious  for  their  valor,  and  had  been  well  tried  on  many 
such  occasions. 

**As  soon  as  they  came  to  the  place  indicated  by  Mrs.  Neff, 
the)^  found  a  plain  trace  left  by  the  Indians,  by  occasionally  breaking 
a  bush.  Mr.  John  Harness,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  the  man- 
ners and  modes  of  warfare  of  the  Indians,  pronounced  that  the  hun- 
ter Indian  had  not  returned  to  his  comrade,  or  that  they  were  in 
great  force  somewhere  near  and  in  ambush.  They,  however,  pur- 
sued the  trace,  without  discovering  any  signs  of  a  large  party,  until 
they  arrived  between  two  mountains,  forming  what  from  its  resem- 
blance is  called  The  Trough.  Here,  directly  above  a  fine  spring, 
about  two  hundred  paces  from  the  river,  which  at  that  time  was  filled 
to  an  impassible  stage,  by  a  heavy  fall  of  rain,  these  grim  monsters 
of  blood  were  encamped,  to  the  number  above  stated.  The  western 
face  of  the  ridge  was  very  precipitous  and  rough,  and  on  the  north 
of  the  spring  was  a  deep  ravine,  cutting  directly  up  into  the  ridge 
above.  Our  little  band  of  heroes,  nothing  daunted  by  the  superior 
number  of  the  enemy,  dismounted  unobserved,  and  prepared  for  bat- 
tle, leaving  their  horses  on  the  ridge.  But  b}^  one  of  those  unfor- 
seen  and  almost  unaccountable  accidents  which  often  thwarts 
the  seemingly  and  best  planned  enterprises,  a  small  dog  which 
had  followed  them,  just  at  this  juncture  started  a  rabbit,  and  went 
yelping  down  the  ridge,  giving  the  Indians  timely  notice  of  their  ap- 
proach. They  immediately  flew  to  arms,  and  filing  off  up  the  ravine 
before  described,  passed  directly  into  the  rear  of  our  little  band, 
placing  them  in  the  very  situation  they  had  hoped  to  find  their  ene- 
mies, between  the  mountain  and  the  swollen  river.  Now  came  the 
tug  of  war,"  and  both  parties  rushed  to  the  onset,  dealing  death 
and  slaughter  at  every  fire.  After  an  hour  or  two  of  hard  fighting, 
during  which  each  of  our  little  band  numbered  his  man,  and  more 
than  half  their  number  had  fallen  to  rise  no  more,  those  that  re- 
mained were  compelled  to  retreat,  which  could  only  be  effected  by 
swimming  the  river.  Some  who  had  been  wounded,  not  being 
able  to  do  this,  determined  to  sell  their  lives  as  dearly  as  possi- 
ble ;  and  deliberately  loading  their  rifles,  and  placing  themselves 
behind  some  cover  on  the  river  bank,  dealt  certain  death  to  the  first 
adversary  who  made  his  appearance,  and  then  calmly  yielded  to  the 
tomahawk. 

*  *  We  can  not  here  pass  over  without  mentioning  one  of  the 
10 


74  INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 


many  despotic  acts  exercised  by  the  then  Colonial  government  and 
its  officers  towards  the  unoffending  colonists.  At  the  time  of  which 
we  are  speaking,  there  were  quartered  in  Fort  Pleasant,  about  one 
and-a-half  miles  above  the  battle  ground,  and  within  hearing  of 
every  gun,  a  company  of  regulars,  commanded  by  a  British  officer 
named  Wagner,  who  did  not  only  refuse  to  march  a  man  out  of  the 
Fort,  but,  when  the  inhabitants  seized  their  rifles  and  determined  to 
rush  to  the  aid  of  their  brothers,  ordered  the  gates  to  be  closed,  and 
suffered  none  to  pass  in  or  out.  By  marching  to  the  western  bank 
of  the  river,  he  might  have  effectually  protected  those  who  were 
wounded,  without  any  danger  of  an  attack  from  the  enemy.  And 
when  the  few  who  had  escaped  the  slaughter,  hailed  and  demanded 
admission  into  the  Fort  it  was  denied  them.  For  this  act  of 
Captain  Wagner's  the  survivors  of  our  Spartan  band  called  him 
a  coward ;  for  which  insult  he  thought  it  his  duty  to  hunt  them 
down  like  wolves,  and  when  caught,  to  inflict  corporal  punishment 
by  stripes. 

"The  Indian  Chief,  Killbuck,  afterwards  admitted  that  al- 
though he  had  witnessed  many  sanguinary  contests  this  was  the 
most  so  he  had  ever  experienced  for  the  number  of  his  enemies, 
Killbuck  was  a  Shawnee,  a  savage  of  strong  mental  powers,  and 
well  acquainted  with  all  the  families  in  the  settlement  before  the  war 
broke  out.  Col.  Vincent  Williams,  whose  father  was  inhumanly 
murdered  by  Killbuck  and  his  party  on  Patterson's  Creek,  became 
personally  acquainted  with  him  many  years  afterwards,  and  took 
the  trouble,  when  once  in  the  state  of  Ohio,  to  visit  him.  He  was 
far  advanced  in  years,  and  had  become  blind.  The  Colonel  informed 
me  that  as  soon  as  he  told  Killbuck  his  name,  the  only  answer  he 
made  was.  '  'Your  father  was  a  brave  warrior. ' '  The  half  brother  of 
Col.  Williams,  Mr.  Benjamin  Casey,  was  with  him.  Mr.  Peter  Casey 
had  once  hired  Killbuck  to  catch  and  bring  home  a  runaway  negro, 
and  was  to  have  given  him  fourteen  shillings.  He  paid  him  six  shil- 
lings, and  the  war  breaking  out  he  never  paid  him  the  other  eight. 
At  the  visit  spoken  of,  Killbuck  inquired  the  name  or  his  other 
visitor,  and  when  the  Colonel  told  him  it  was  Benjamin  Casey, 
'What,  Peter  Casey's  son?'  Yes.'  'Your  father  owes  me  eight 
shillings  ;  will  you  pay  it ! '  said  the  old  chief.  The  Colonel  at  that 
time  got  all  the  particulars  of  the  tragical  death  of  his  father,  as  well 
as  the  great  heroism  manifested  by  our  little  band  at  the  battle  of 
The  Trough/' 

Dr.  Turley  refers  in  the  foregoing  narrative  to  the  murder  of 
Mr.  Williams,  on  Patterson's  Creek.  This  melancholy  tragedy  the 
author  is  enabled  to  give,  as  it  was  related  to  him  by  Mr.  James  S. 
Miles,  of  Hardy. 

Mr.  Williams  lived  on  Patterson's  Creek,  on  the  farm  now  oc- 
cupied by  his  grandson,  Mr.  James  Williams.  Hearing  of  the 
approach  of  the  Indians,  he  repaired  with  his  neighbors  to  Fort 
Pleasant  (nine  miles)  for  security.    After  remaining  here  a  few 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES.  75 


days,  supposing  their  houses  might  be  revisited  with  safety,  Mr. 
Williams  with  seven  others  crossed  the  mountain  for  that  purpose. 
They  separated  on  reaching  the  Creek ;  and  Mr.  Williams  went 
alone  to  his  farm.  Having  tied  his  horse  to  a  bush,  he  commenced 
salting  his  cattle,  when  seven  Indians  (as  afterwards  said  by  Kill- 
buck)  got  between  him  and  his  horse,  and  demanded  his  surrender. 
Mr.  Williams  answered  by  a  ball  from  his  rifle,  which  killed  one  of 
the  Indians,  then  retreated  to  his  house,  barricaded  the  door,  and 
put  his  enemy  at  defiance.  They  fired  at  him  at  random  through 
the  door  and  windows,  until  the  latter  were  filled  with  shot-holes. 
For  greater  security  Mr.  Williams  got  behind  a  hominy  block  in 
a  corner,  from  which  he  could  fire  at  his  assailants  through  the 
cracks  of  the  building  as  opportunity  offered.  In  this  way  he 
killed  five  out  of  the  seven.  The  remaining  two,  resolved  not  to  give 
up  their  prey,  found  it  necessary  to  proceed  more  cautiously  ;  and 
going  to  the  least  exposed  side  of  the  house,  one  was  raised  upon 
the  shoulders  of  the  other  to  an  opening  in  the  logs  some  distance 
above  the  level  of  Mr.  Williams,  who  did  not  consequently,  ob- 
serve the  manoeuvre,  from  which  he  fired,  and  shot  Mr.  Williams 
dead.  The  body  was  instantly  quartered,  and  hung  to  the  four 
corners  of  the  building,  and  the  head  stuck  upon  a  fence  stack  in 
front  of  the  door.  This  brave  man  was  the  father  of  the  venerable 
Edward  Williams,  the  Clerk  of  Hardy  county  court,  until  the  elec- 
tion of  1830,  under  the  new  constition,  when  his  advanced  age 
compelled  him  to  decline  being  a  candidate. 

Sometime  after  the  battle  of  The  Trough,  at  a  Fort  seven 
miles  above  Romney,  two  Indian  boys  made  their  appearance,  when 
some  of  the  men  went  out  with  the  intention  of  taking  them.  A 
grown  Indian  made  his  appearance,  but  was  instantly  shot  down  by 
Shedrach  Wright.  A  numerous  party  then  showed  themselves, 
which  the  garrison  sallied  out  and  attacked,  but  they  were  defeated 
with  the  loss  of  several  of  their  men,  and  compelled  to  retreat  to 
the  Fort.  * 

Killbuck,  the  chief  before  mentioned,  used  frequently  to  com- 
mand these  marauding  parties.  Previous  to  the  breaking  out  of 
the  war,  he  was  well  acquainted  with  many  of  the  white  settlers  on 
the  Wappatomaka,  and  lived  a  good  part  of  his  time  among  them. 
His  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  country  enabled  him  to  lead  his 
band  of  murderers  from  place  to  place,  and  commit  many  outrages 
on  the  persons  and  property  of  the  white  inhabitants.  In  the 
progress  of  his  work,  some  further  notice  will  be  taken  of  this  dis- 
tinguished warrior.  There  was  another  great  Indian  warrior  called 
**  Crane  ;"  but  the  author  not  has  been  able  to  collect  any  particular 
traditionary  accounts  of  the  feats  performed  by  him. 

In  the  year  1757,  a  numerous  body  of  Indians  crossed  the  AUe- 


*  Mr.  James  Parsons,  near  Romney,  Hampshire  county,  gave  the  author 
this  information. 


76  INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 


ghany  Mountain,  and,  as  usual,  divided  themselves  into  small 
parties,  and  hovering  about  the  different  Forts,  committed  many  acts 
of  murder  and  destruction  of  property.  About  thirty  or  forty  ap- 
proached Edward's  Fort,  on  Capon  River,  killed  two  men  at  a 
small  mill,  took  off  a  parcel  of  corn  meal,  and  retreating  along  a  path 
that  led  between  a  stream  of  water  and  a  steep  high  mountain,  they 
strewed  the  meal  in  several  place  on  their  route.  Immediately 
between  this  path  and  the  stream  is  an  abrupt  bank,  seven  or  eight 
feet  high,  and  of  considerable  length,  under  which  the  Indians  con- 
cealed themselves  and  awaited  the  approach  of  the  garrison. 
Forty  men  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Mercer,  sallied  out,  with 
the  intention  of  pursuing  and  attacking  the  enemy.  But  oh  !  fatal 
day  !  Mercer's  party,  discovering  the  trail  of  meal,  supposed  the 
Indians  were  making  a  speedy  retreat,  and,  unappraised  of  their 
strength,  moved  on  at  a  brisk  step,  until  the  whole  line  was  drawn 
immediately  over  the  line  of  the  Indians  under  the  bank,  when  the 
latter  discharged  a  most  destructive  fire  upon  them,  sixteen  falling 
dead  at  the  first  fire.  The  others  attempting  to  save  themselves  by 
flight,  were  pursued  and  slaughtered  in  every  direction,  until,  out 
of  the  forty,  but  six  got  back  to  the  Fort.  One  poor  fellow,  who 
ran  up  the  side  of  the  mountain,  was  fired  at  by  an  Indian  the  ball 
penetrating  just  above  his  heel,  ranged  up  his  leg,  shivering  the 
bones,  and  lodging  a  little  below  his  knee ;  he  slipped  under  the 
lap  of  a  fallen  tree,  there  he  hid  himself,  and  lay  in  that  deplorable 
situation  for  two  days  and  nights  before  he  was  found  by  his  friends, 
it  being  that  length  of  time  before  the  people  of  the  Fort  would 
venture  out  to  collect  and  bury  the  dead.  This  wounded  man  re- 
covered, and  lived  many  years  after,  though  he  always  was  a 
cripple  from  his  wound.  Capt.  George  Smith,  who  now  resides 
on  Back  Creek,  informed  the  author  that  he  was  well  acquainted 
with  him. 

Some  time  afterwards,  the  Indians,  in  much  greater  force,  and 
aided,  it  was  believed,  by  several  Frenchmen  in  person,  determined 
to  carry  this  Fort  by  storm.  The  garrison  had  been  considerably 
reinforced  ;  among  others,  b}^  the  late  Gen.  Daniel  Morgan,  than  a 
young  man.  The  Indians  made  the  assault  with  great  boldness  ; 
but  on  this  occasion  they  met  with  a  sad  reverse  of  fortune.  The 
garrison  sallied  out,  and  a  desperate  battle  ensued.  The  assailants 
w^ere  defeated  with  great  slaughter,  while  the  whites  lost  compara- 
tively few  men. 

The  remains  of  a  gun  of  high  finish,  ornamented  with  silver 
mounting  and  gold  touch-hole,  were  plowed  up  near  the  battle- 
ground about  forty  years  ago.  It  was  supposed  to  have  belonged 
to  a  French  officer.    Part  of  a  bomb-shell  was  also  found.  Morgan 


*  Edward's  Fort  was  located  on  the  west  side  of  Capon  River,  not  more 
than  three-quarters  of  a  mile  above,  where  the  stage  road  from  Winchester 
to  Romney  crossed  the  river. 


INDIxiN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES.        "  77 


in  this  action  performed  his  part  with  his  usual  intripidity,  caution, 
and  firmness,  and  doubtless  did  much  execution.  * 

Other  parties  of  Indians  penetrated  into  the  neighborhood  of 
Winchester,  and  killed  several  people  about  Round  Hill ;  among 
others  a  man  by  the  name  of  Flaughert}',  with  his  wife.  Several 
inmates  of  a  family  by  the  name  of  M'Cracken,  on  Back  Creek, 
about  twelve  miles  from  Winchester,  were  killed,  and  two  of  the 
daughters  taken  off  as  prisoners.  They,  however,  got  back,  after 
an  absence  of  three  or  four  years.  Mr.  Lewis  Neill  informed  the 
author  that  he  saw  and  conversed  with  these  women  on  the  subject 
of  their  captivity  after  their  return  home.  Jacob  Havely  and 
several  of  his  family  were  killed  near  the  present  residence  of  Moses 
Russell,  Esq.,  at  the  eastern  base  of  the  North  Mountain,  fifteen  or 
sixteen  miles  southwest  of  Winchester.  Dispennet,  and  several  of 
his  family,  and  Vance  and  his  v/ife,  f  were  also  severally  killed  by 
the  same  party  of  Indians,  in  the  same  neighborhood. 

The  late  respectable  and  intelligent  Mrs.  Rebecca  Brinker,  who 
was  born  the  25th  of  March,  1745,  and  who  of  course  was  upw^ards 
of  ten  years  old  when  Braddock  was  defeated,  related  many  inter- 
esting occurrences  to  the  author  ;  among  others,  that  of  a  family 
of  eighteen  persons,  by  the  name  of  Nicholls,  who  resided  at  the 
present  residenceof  Mr.  Stone,  a  little  west  of  Maj.  Isaac  Kite's  were 
attacked,  the  greater  numiber  killed,  and  several  taken  off  as  pris- 
oner's ;  one  old  woman  and  her  grandchild  made  their  escape  to  a 
Fort,  a  short  distance  from  Middletown.  This  took  place  about 
1756  or  1757,  ^^^^  probably  by  the  same  part\^  who  killed  Havely 
and  others. 

In  the  year  1758,  a  party  of  about  fifty  Indians  and  four  French- 
men penetrated  into  the  neighborhood  of  Mill  Creek,  now  in  the 
County  of  Shenandoah,  about  nine  miles  south  of  Woodstock.  This 
was  a  pretty  thickly  settled  neighborhood  ;  and  among  other  houses, 
George  Painter  had  erected  a  large  log  one,  with  a  good  sized  cellar. 
On  the  alarm  being  given,  the  neighboring  people  took  refuge  in 
this  house.  Late  in  the  afternoon  they  were  attacked  Mr.  Pain- 
ter, attempted  to  fly,  had  three  balls  shot  through  his  body,  and  fell 
dead,  when  the  others  surrendered.  The  Indians  dragged  the  dead 
body  back  to  the  house,  threw  it  in,  plundered  the  house  of  what 

*  Mr.  William  Carlisle,  now  nine-five  years  of  age,  and  who  resides 
near  the  battle  ground,  informed  the  author  that  he  removed  and  settled  on 
Capon  soon  after  the  battle  was  fought.  He  also  said  that  he  had  frequently 
heard  it  asserted  that  Morgan  was  in  the  battle,  and  acted  with  great  bravery, 
&c.  Mr.  Charles  Carlisle  son  of  this  venerable  man,  stated  the  fact  of  the 
gun  and  part  of  a  bomb-shell  being  found. 

f  Moses  Russell,  Esq.,  is  under  the  impression  that  these  people  were 
killed  in  the  summer  or  fall  of  the  year,  1756.  The  author  finds  it  impossi- 
ble to  fix  the  dates  of  the  various  acts  of  war  committed  by  the  savages. 
After  the  most  diligent  inquiry,  he  has  not  been  able  to  find  any  person  who 
committed  to  writing  anything  upon  the  subject  at  the  time  the  several  oc- 
currences took  place. 


78  INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 


they  choose,  and  then  set  fire  to  it.  While  the  house  was  in  flames, 
consuming  the  body  of  Mr.  Painter,  they  forced  from  the  arms  of  their 
mothers  four  infant  children,  hung  4;hem  up  in  trees,  shot  them  in 
savage  sport,  and  left  them  hanging.  They  then  set  fire  to  a  stable 
in  which  were  enclosed  a  parcel  of  sheep  and  calves,  thus  cruelly 
and  wontonly  tortured  to  death  the  inoffensive  dumb  animals. 
After  these  atrocities  they  moved  off  with  forty-eight  prisoners  ; 
among  whom  were  Mrs.  Painter,  five  of  her  daughters,  and  one  of 
her  sons  ;  and  a  Mrs.  Smith,  and  several  of  her  children  ;  a  Mr. 
Fisher  and  several  of  his  children,  among  them  a  lad  of  twelve  or 
thirteen  years  old,  a  fine  well  grown  boy,  and  remarkably  fleshy. 
This  little  fellow  it  will  be  presently  seen,  was  destined  to  be  the 
victim  of  savage  cruelty. 

Two  of  Painter's  sons,  and  a  young  man  by  the  name  of  Jacob 
Myers  escaped  being  captured  by  concealment.  One  of  the  Painters, 
with  Myers,  ran  over  that  night  to  Powell's  Fort,  a  distance  at  least 
of  fifteen  miles,  and  to  Kellar's  Fort,  in  quest  of  aid.  They  had 
neither  hat  nor  shoes,  nor  any  other  clothing  than  a  shirt  and  trows- 
ers  each.  A  small  party  of  men  set  out  early  the  next  morning, 
well-mounted  and  armed,  to  avange  the  outrage.  They  reached  Mr. 
Painter's  early  in  the  day  ;  but  on  learning  their  strength  (from  the 
other  young  Painter,  who  had  remained  concealed  all  that  evening 
and  night,  and  by  that  means  were  able  to  count  the  number  of 
the  enemy) ,  they  declined  pursuit,  being  too  weak  in  numbers  to  ven- 
ture further.  Thus  this  savage  band  got  off  with  their  prisoners  and 
booty,  without  any  pursuit  or  interruption. 

After  six  days'  travel  they  reached  their  villages,  west  of  the 
Alleghany  Mountains,  where  they  held  a  council,  and  determined  to 
sacrifice  their  helpless  prisoner,  Jacob  Fisher.  They  first  ordered 
him  to  collect  a  quantity  of  dry  wood.  The  poor  little  fellow  shud- 
dered, burst  into  tears,  and  told  his  father  they  intended  to  burn 
him.  His  father  replied,  I  hope  not ;"  and  advised  him  to  obey. 
When  he  had  collected  a  sufficient  quantity  of  wood  to  answer  their 
purpose,  they  cleared  and  smoother  a  ring,  around  a  sapling,  to 
which  they  tied  him  by  one  hand,  then  formed  a  trail  of  wood  around 
the  tree  and  set  it  on  fire.  The  poor  boy  was  then  compelled  to  run 
round  in  this  ring  of  fire  until  his  rope  wound  him  up  to  the  sap- 
ling, and  then  back  until  he  came  in  contact  with  the  flame,  whilst 
his  infernal  tormentors  were  drinking,  singing  and  dancing  around 
him  with  ''horrid  joy."  This  was  continued  for  several  hours; 
during  which  time  the  savage  men  became  beastly  drunk,  and  as 
they  fell  prostrate  to  the  ground,  the  squaws  would  keep  up  the  fire. 
With  long  sharp  poles,  prepared  for  the  purpose,  they  would  pierce 
the  body  of  their  victim  whenever  he  flagged,  until  the  poor  and 
helpless  boy  fell  and  expired  with  the  most  excruciating  torments, 
while  his  father  and  brothers  were  compelled  to  be  witnesses  of  the 
heart-rendering  tragedy. 

After  an  absence  of  about  three  years,  Mrs.  Painter  with  her 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES.  79 


son  and  two  of  her  daughters.  Mrs.  Smith,  who  had  the  honor,  if 
it  could  be  so  deemed,  of  presenting  her  husband  with  an  Indian 
son,  *  by  a  distinguished  war  chief  ;  Fisher  and  his  remaining  sons  ; 
and  several  other  prisoners  returned  home.  Three  of  Painter's 
daughter's  remained  with  the  Indians.  Mar}^,  the  youngest,  was 
about  nine  years  old  when  taken,  and  was  eighteen  years  a  prisoner  ; 
two  of  the  daughters  never  returned.  A  man  by  the  name  of 
Michael  Copple,  who  had  himself  been  a  prisoner  about  two  years 
with  the  Indians,  had  learned  their  language,  became  an  Indian 
trader  and  traveled  much  among  them,  at  length  found  Mary  Pain- 
ter with  a  wandering  party  of  Cherokees.  In  conversing  with  her, 
he  discovered  who  she  was,  that  he  was  acquainted  with  her  family 
connections,  and  proposed  to  her  to  accompany  him  home,  to  which 
she  refused  her  assent.  He  then  said  that  her  brother  had  removed 
to  Point  Pleasant,  and  were  desirious  of  seeing  her  ;  upon  which  she 
consented  to  accompany  him  that  far  to  see  her  brothers  ;  but 
finding,  on  arriving  at  the  Point,  that  he  had  deceived  her,  she 
manifested  much  dissatisfaction,  and  attempted  to  go  back  to  the 
Indians,  Copple,  however,  after  much  entreaty,  and  promising  to 
make  her  his  wife,  prevailed  upon  her  to  return  home.  He  per- 
formed his  promise  of  marriage,  lived  several  years  on  Painter's 
land,  and  raised  a  family  of  children.  Mar}^  had  lost  her  mother 
tongue,  learned  a  little  English  afterwards,  but  always  conversed 
with  her  husband  in  the  Indian  language,  f  They  finally  removed 
to  the  west. 

The  garrison  at  Fort  Cumberland  was  frequently  annoyed  by 
the  Indians.  There  are  two  high  knobs  of  the  mountain,  one  on 
the  Virginia  side  of  the  Cohongoruton  on  the  South,  the  other  on 
the  Maryland  side  on  the  northeast,  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
Fort.  The  Indians  frequently  took  possession  of  these  heights,  and 
fired  upon  the  Fort.  Although  they  seldom  did  any  injury  in  this 
way,  yet  it  was  disagreeable  and  attended  with  some  danger.  On  a 
particular  occasion  a  large  party  of  Indians  had  taken  possession 
of  the  knob  on  the  Maryland  side,  and  fired  into  the  Fort.  A 
Captain  (the  author  regrets  that  he  was  not  able  to  learn  his 
name)  and  seventy-five  brave  fellows  on  a  very  dark  night  volun- 
teered to  dislodge  the  enemy.    They  sallied  out  from  the  Fort, 


*  Smith  received  his  wife  and  never  maltreated  her  on  this  account,  but 
he  had  a  most  bitter  aversion  to  the  young  chief.  The  boy  grew  up  to  man- 
hood, and  exhibited  the  appearance  and  disposition  of  his  sire.  Attempts 
were  made  to  educate  him,  but  without  success.  He  enlisted  into  the  army 
of  the  revolution  as  a  common  soldier,  and  never  returned. 

*  The  author  deems  a  particular  history  of  this  woman  necessary,  be- 
cause it  is  one  among  many  instances  of  young  white  children,  when  taken 
prisoners,  becoming  attached  to  a  savage  life,  and  leaving  it  with  great  re- 
luctance. Mr.  George  Painter,  an  aged  and  respected  citizen  in  Shenandoah 
county,  who  resides  on  the  spot  where  this  bloody  tragedy  was  enacted,  and 
is  a  grandson  of  the  man  who  was  murdered  and  burnt,  detailed  these  par- 
ticulars to  the  author. 


8o  INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 


surrounded  the  knob,  and  cautiousl}^  ascending  until  they  Yv^ere 
within  reach  of  the  foe,  waited  for  daybreak  to  make  the  attack. 
Light  appearing,  they  opened  a  tremendous  fire,  which  threw  the 
Indians  into  utter  confusion,  rendering  them  powerless  for  defense, 
while  the  whites  continued  from  all  sides  to  pour  in  volley  after 
volley,  spreading  death  and  caranage.  But  few  of  the  Indians  es- 
caped. The  knob  is  called  "  Bloody  Hill  "  to  this  day.  This  tradi- 
tion the  author  received  from  several  individuals  in  Cumberland  ; 
indeed,  the  story  appears  to  be  familiar  with  every  aged  individual 
in  the  neighborhood. 

Shortly  after  this  occurrence.  Kill-buck  attempted  to  take  Fort 
Cumberland  by  stratagem.  He  approached  it  at  the  head  of  a  large 
force  of  warriors  ;  and  under  the  guise  of  friendship,  pretended  to 
wish  an  amicable  intercourse  with  the  garrison,  proposed  to  Maj. 
Livingston  to  admit  himself  and  warriors.  Some  hints  having  been 
given  to  the  commander  to  be  upon  his  guard,  Livingston  seemingly?- 
consented  to  the  proposal ;  but  no  sooner  had  Kill-buck  and  his 
chief  officers  entered  than  the  gates  were  closed  upon  them.  The 
wiley  chief  being  thus  entrapped,  was  roundly  charged  v/itli  his  in- 
tended treachery,  of  which  the  circumstances  were  too  self-evident 
to  be  denied.  Livingston,  however,  inflicted  no  other  punishment 
upon  his  captives  than  a  m.ark  of  humiliating  disgrace,  which  to  an 
Indian  warrior  was  more  mortifying  than  death.  This  stigma  was, 
it  is  supposed,  dressing  them  in  petticoats  and  driving  them  out  of 
the  Fort.  * 

It  has  already  been  stated,  that,  previous  to  the  breaking  out 
of  the  Avar,  Kill-buck  lived  a  good  part  of  his  time  among  the  white 
settlers  in  the  neighborhood  of  Fort  Pleasant.  An  Irish  ser\^ant, 
belonging  to  Peter  Casey,  absconded,  and  Casey  offered  a  pistole  f 
reward  for  his  recovery.  Kill-buck  apprehended  the  servant,  and 
delivered  him  to  his  master ;  but  from  some  cause  or  other,  Casey 
refused  to  pay  the  reward.  A  quarrel  ensued,  and  Casey  knocked 
Kill-buck  down  with  his  cane.  When  the  war  broke  out,  Kill-buck 
sought  every  opportunity  to  kill  Casey,  but  never  could  succeed. 
Many  years  afterwards,  Casey's  son  obtained  a  Lieutenancy,  and 
was  ordered  to  Wheeling,  where  Kill-buck  then  being,  young  Casey 
requested  some  of  his  friends  to  introduce  him  to  him.  When  Kill- 
buck  heard  his  name,  he  paused  for  a  moment,  and  repeating, 
' '  Casey  !  Casey  !  * '  inquired  of  the  young  man  whether  he  knew 
Peter  Casey.  The  Lieutenant  replied,  "Yes,  he  is  my  father." 
Kill-buck  immediately  exclaimed,  '*Bad  man,  bad  man,  he  once 
knocked  me  down  with  his  cane,    On  the  young  man's  proposing  to 


*  The  venerable  John  Tomlinson  related  this  affair  to  the  author.  Mr. 
Tomlinson  does  not  recollect  the  particular  mark  of  disgrace  inflicted  on 
these  Indians.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Jacobs,  of  Hampshire,  suggested  this  as  the 
most  probable. 

f  The  pistole  is  a  piece  of  gold,  equal  to  three  dollars  and  seven;y-five 
cents  in  value. 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES.  8i 


make  up  the  breach,  the  old  chief  replied,  Will  you  pay  me  the 
pistole?"  Young  Casey  refused  to  do  this,  but  proposed  to  treat 
with  a  quart  of  rum,  to  which  the  old  warrior  assented,  saying, 
"Peter  Casey  old  man — Kill-buck  old  man;"  and  then  stated  that 
he  had  frequently  watched  an  opportunity  to  kill  him,  '  *  but  he  was 
to  lazy — would  not  come  out  of  the  Fort ;  Kill-buck  now  friends 
with  him,  and  bury  the  tomahawk. ' '  *  This  Indian  chief,  it  is  said 
was  living  about  fourteen  years  ago,  and  had  become  blind 
from  his  great  age,  being  a  little  under,  and  probably  over  one  hun- 
dred years. 


*  This  anecdote  is  related,  somewhat  differently,  by  Dr.  Turley,  page  72 
of  this  work. 


82  INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. —  Continued. 

In  a  preceding  chapter  the  election  of  several  stone  dwelling- 
houses  are  noticed.  These  houses  are  generally  small  stockade 
forts  about  them  ;  and  whenever  an  alarm  took  place,  the  neighbor- 
ing people  took  shelter  in  them,  as  places  of  security  against  their 
savage  foes.  ^ 

The  men  never  w^ent  out  of  the  Forts  without  their  guns.  The 
enemy  were  frequently  lurking  about  them,  and  at  every  opportuni- 
ty would  kill  some  of  the  people.  At  the  residence  of  Maj.  Rob't 
D.  Glass,  on  Opequon,  five  miles  southwest  of  Winchester,  part  of 
his  dwelling-house  was  erected  at  the  time  of  the  Indian  war ;  the 
port -holes  were  plainly  to  be  seen  before  the  body  Vv^as  covered  with 
weather-boarding.  The  people  were  closely  "  forted "  for  about 
three  years.  After  the  termination  of  hostilities  betw^een  England 
and  France,  the  incursions  of  the  Indians  were  less  frequent  and 
never  in  large  parties  ;  but  they  were  continued  at  inten^als  until  the 
year  1766  or  1767. 

About  the  year  1758,  a  man  by  the  name  of  John  Stone,  near 
what  is  called  the  White  House,  in  the  Hawksbill  settlement,  was 
killed  by  Indians.  Stone's  v/ife,  with  her  infant  child  and  a  son 
about  seven  or  eight  j^ears  old,  and  George  Grandstaff,  a  youth  of 
sixteen  years  old,  were  taken  off  as  prisoners.  On  the  South  Branch 
Mountain  the  Indians  murdered  Mrs.  Stone  and  her  infant,  and 
took  the  boy  and  Grandstaff  to  their  towns.  Grandstaff  v\^as  about 
three  years  a  prisoner,  and  then  got  home.  The  little  boy,  Stone, 
grew  up  with  the  Indians,  came  home,  and  after  obtaining  posses- 
sion of  his  father's  property,  sold  it,  got  the  m.oney,  returned  to  the 
Indians,  and  was  never  heard  of  by  his  friends  afterguards. 

The  same  Indians  killed  Jacob  Holtiman's  wife  and  her  chil- 
dren, Holtiman  escaping.  They  plundered  old  Brewbecker's  house, 
piled  up  the  chairs  and  spinning  wheel,  and  set  them  on  fire.  A 
young  woman  who  lived  with  Brewbecker  had  concealed  herself  in 
the  garret ;  and  after  the  Indians  left  the  house,  extinguished  the 
fire  and  saved  the  house  from  burning.  Brewbecker's  wife  got  in- 
formation that  the  Indians  were  coming,  and  ran  oft*  with  her  chil- 
dren to  where  several  men  were  at  work,  who  conveyed  her  across 


*  The  late  Mrs.  Rebecca  Brinker,  one  of  the  daughters  of  George  Bow- 
man on  Cedar  Creek,  informed  the  author  that  she  recollected  when  sixteen 
families  took  shelter  in  her  father's  house. 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES.  83 


the  River  to  a  neighboring  house.  Mr.  John  Brewbecker  now  re- 
sides on  the  farm  v»^here  this  occurrence  took  place.  * 

The  following  singular  tradition,  as  connected  with  this  occur- 
rence, has  been  related  to  the  author  : 

About  dusk  on  the  evening  previous,  Mrs.  Brewbecker  told  her 
husband  and  family  that  the  Indians  would  attack  them  next  morn- 
ing, saying,  that  she  could  see  a  party  of  them  on  the  side  of  the 
Massanutten  Mountain,  in  the  act  of  cooking  their  supper.  She 
also  declared  that  she  saw  their  fire,  and  could  count  the  number  of 
Indians.  She  pointed  to  the  spot  ;  but  no  other  part  of  the  family 
saw  it ;  and  it  was  therefore  thought  that  she  must  be  mistaken. 
Persisting  in  her  declarations,  she  begged  her  husband  to  remove 
her  and  her  children  to  a  place  of  safety  ;  but  she  was  laughed  at, 
told  that  it  was  mere  superstition,  and  that  she  was  in  no  danger.  It 
was,  however,  afterwards  ascertained  that  the  savages  had  encamped 
that  night  at  the  place  on  the  mountain  pointed  out  by  Mrs.  Brew- 
becker,   It  was  about  two  miles  off.  f 

These  outrages  of  the  Indians  drove  many  of  the  white  settlers 
beiow  the  Blue  Ridge. 

Probably  the  same  year,  several  Indians  attacked  the  house  of 
a  man  named  Bingaman,  near  the  present  site  of  New  Market. 
Bingaman,  who  was  remarkably  stout  and  active,  defended  his  fam- 
ily with  great  resolution  and  firmness,  and  laid  two  of  the  assassins 
dead  at  his  feet ;  they  succeeded,  however,  in  killing  his  wife  and 
children,  Bingaman  escaping  with  several  wounds,  from  which  he 
finally  recovered.  The  same  party  took  Lewis  Bingaman  (a  nephew 
of  the  one  spoken  of) ,  a  prisoner.  He  was  a  boy  about  thirteen 
or  fourteen  years  old,  grew  up  with  the  Indians  and  became  a 
man  of  distinction  among  them. 

About  the  same  time  the  Indians  forcibly  entered  the  house  of 
Mr.  Young,  who  resided  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  William  Smith, 
Esq.,  not  more  than  a  mile  from  Zane's  old  iron  works,  and  killed 
several  of  his  family.  They  took  an  infant,  dashed  its  head  against 
a  rock,  beat  out  its  brains,  and  left  it  dying  on  the  ground.  Two 
of  Young's  daughter's,  pretty  well  grown,  were  carried  off  prison- 
ers. Lieutenant  Samuel  Fry  raised  a  force  of  between  thirty  and 
forty  men,  pursued,  and  came  in  sight  of  them  unobserved,  at  the 
Short  Mountain,  near  the  Alleghany.  Fry's  party  prepared  to  fire; 
but  unfortunately  one  of  the  white  girls  stepped  accidentally  before 
their  guns,  the  intention  was  frustrated,  and  Fry  being  discovered 
the  next  moment,  he  ordered  his  men  to  charge.  This  was  no  sooner 
done  than  the  Indians  broke  and  ran  off,  leaving  their  guns,  prison- 

*Mr.  Brewbecker  resides  on  the  west  side  of  ths  South  Fork  of  the 
Shenandoah  River,  on  Massanutten  Creek,  in  the  now  county  of  Page, and  has 
erected  a  large  and  elegant  brick  house  on  the  spot  where  the  Indians  plun- 
dered his  father's  dwelling, 

f  This  tradition  was  given  the  author  by  Mr.  Andrew  Keyser,  Jr.,  who 
married  a  granddaughter  of  the  woman  who  saw  the  Indians. 


84  INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 


ers  and  plunder ;  the  two  young  females  were  then  rescued  and 
brought  safely  home. 

Another  family  in  the  same  neighborhood,  by  the  name  of  Day, 
were  attacked,  several  killed  and  two  of  the  daughters  taken  off.  A 
party  of  eighteen  or  twenty  whites  pursued  them.  The  girls,  as 
they  traveled  through  the  mountains,  expecting  pursuit,  took  the 
precaution  (unobserved  by  their  captors)  to  tear  off  and  frequently 
drop  small  scraps  of  white  linen,  as  well  as  pluck  off  branches  of 
bushes,  and  drop  them  as  a  trail,  by  which  means  their  friends  could 
readily  discover  their  route.  A  brother  of  the  girls,  a  young  man, 
was  one  of  the  pursuing  party.  The  Indians  were  overtaken  on  the 
South  Branch  Mountain,  and  as  soon  as  seen,  preparations  were 
made  to  give  them  a  deadly  fire.  But  the  young  Day,  in  his  eager- 
ness to  avenge  the  death  of  his  father  and  family,  prematurely  fired, 
killing  the  object  of  his  aim,  when  the  others  precipitately  fled,  leav- 
ing everything  behind  them.  They  had  cut  off  the  girls'  petticoats 
at  the  knees,  in  order  that  they  should  be  able  to  make  more  speed 
in  traveling.    The  girls  were  brought  safely  home. 

There  were  several  instances  of  the  Indians  committing  murders 
on  the  whites  above  the  Potomac,  and  South  Branch,  several  years 
before  Braddock's  defeat.  About  the  year  1752,  a  man  by  the  name 
of  James  Davis  was  killed,  pretty  high  up  the  Potomac  ;  and  in  the 
succeeding  year,  William  Zane  and  several  of  his  family  were  taken 
prisoners  on  the  South  Branch,  in  the  new  County  of  Hardy.  Isaac 
Zane,  one  of  his  sons,  remained  during  his  life  with  the  Indians. 
The  author  saw  this  man  at  Chillicothe  in  the  autumn  of  1797,  and 
had  some  conversation  with  him  upon  the  subject  of  his  captivity. 
He  stated  that  he  was  captured  when  about  nine  years  old  ;  was  four 
years  without  seeing  a  white  person  ;  had  learned  the  Indian  tongue 
quite  well,  but  never  lost  a  knowledge  of  the  English,  having  learned 
to  spell  in  two  syllables,  which  he  still  could  do,  although  pretty 
well  advanced  in  years.  He  also  said  that  a  trader  came  to  the  In- 
dian village  four  years  after  his  captivity,  and  spoke  to  him  in  Eng- 
lish, of  which  he  understood  every  word  ;  that  when  he  grew  up  to 
manhood,  he  married  a  sister  of  the  Wyandotte  king,  and  raised  a 
family  of  seven  or  eight  children.  His  sons  were  all  Indians  in 
their  habits  and  dispositions ;  his  daughters,  four  of  them, 
all  married  white  men,  became  civilized,  and  were  remarkably 
fine  women,  considering  the  opportunities  they  had  had  for  im- 
provement. 

This  man  possessed  a  great  influence  with  the  tribes  he  was  ac- 
quainted with  ;  and  as  he  retained  a  regard  for  his  native  countrymen, 
was  several  times  instrumental  in  bringing  about  treaties  of  peace. 
The  government  of  the  United  States  granted  him  a  patent  for  ten 
thousand  acres  of  land,  which  he  claimed  as  his  private  property ; 
and  when  the  author  saw  him  he  was  on  his  way  to  Philadelphia  to 
apply  for  a  confirmation  of  his  title.  He  was  a  near  relative  to  the 
late  Gen.  Isaac  Zane,  of  Frederick  county,  Virginia. 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES.  85 


About  the  same  time  that  Mr.  Zane's  family  were  taken  prison- 
ers, as  just  related,  an  Indian  killed  a  white  man  near  Oldtown,  in 
Maryland,  but  was,  in  return,  killed  by  the  late  Capt.  Michael  Cres- 
ap,  then  a  boy,  with  a  pistol,  while  he  was  in  the  act  of  scalping  the 
white  man.  * 

About  the  year  1758,  there  were  two  white  men  who  disguised 
themselves  in  the  habit  of  Indians,  and  appeared  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  present  site  of  Martinsburg.  They  were  pursued  and 
killed,  supposing  them  to  be  Indians,  f  It  was  no  uncommon  thing 
for  unprincipled  scoundrels  to  act  in  this  manner.  Their  object  was 
to  frighten  people  to  leave  their  homes,  in  order  that  they  might 
rob  and  plunder  them  of  their  most  valuable  articles.  |  The  Indians 
were  frequently  charged  with  outrages  they  never  committed. 

A  man  by  the  name  of  Edes,  with  his  family,  resided  in  a  cave 
for  several  years,  about  three  miles  above  the  mouth  of  Capon. 
This  cave  is  in  a  large  rock,  and  when  other  people  would  take 
shelter  at  a  Fort  in  the  neighborhood,  Eades,  would  remain 
in  his  cave.  At  length  the  Indians  found  them,  by  trailing  the 
children  when  driving  up  their  cows,  and  took  Eades  and  his  family 
prisoners.  § 

A  Mr.  Smith,  a  bachelor,  resided  on  the  w^est  side  of  Capon 
River,  in  a  small  cabin.  Three  Indians,  one  morning,  entered  his 
house,  split  up  the  wooden  bowls  and  trenches  (plates  made  of 
wood)  destroyed  his  household  goods  generally  and  took  him  off 
as  a  prisoner.  They  crossed  the  Cohongoruton,  and  halted  at  a  place 
called  Grass  Lick,  on  the  Maryland  side  with  the  intention  of  steal- 
ing horses.  Two  of  them  went  into  a  meadow  for  that  purpose, 
while  the  third  remained  to  guard  Smith.  The  two  men  soon  hal- 
tered a  young  unbroken  horse,  delivered  him  to  the  guard,  and  went 
in  pursuit  of  more.  The  fellow  who  held  the  horse  discovered  that 
the  animal  was  easily  freightened,  several  times  scared  him  for  his 
amusement,  till  at  length  he  became  so  much  alarmed  that  he  made 
a  sudden  wheel,  and  ran  off  with  the  Indian  hanging  to  the  halter, 
dragging  him  a  considerable  distance.  Smith  took  this  opportunity 
to  escape,  and  succeeded  in  getting  off.  The  next  morning  a  party 
of  white  men  collected  with  the  intention  of  giving  pursuit.  They 
went  to  Smith's  cabin  and  found  him  mending  his  bowls  and  tren- 
chers by  sewing  them  with  wax-ends.  || 

At  Hedges'  Fort,  on  the  present  road  from  Martinsburg  to 
Bath,  west  of  Back  Creek,  a  man  was  killed  while  watching  the 
Spring.  % 

♦Jacob's  Life  of  Cresap. 

f  Related  by  Captain  James  Glenn. 

X  Related  by  Lewis  Neill. 

§  Captain  Glenn. 

g  Related  by  Captain  Glenn. 

^  The  same. 


86  INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 


On  lyost  River,  there  were  two  Forts,  one  on  the  land  now  the 
residence  of  Jeremiah  Inskeep,  Esq.,  called  Riddle's  Fort,  where 
a  man  named  Chesmer  was  killed  ;  the  other  called  Warden's  Fort,* 
where  William  Warden  and  a  Mr.  Taft  was  killed,  and  the  Fort 
burnt  down. 

Just  before  the  massacre  on  Looney's  Creek  (related  on  the 
succeeding  page),  seven  Indians  surrounded  the  cabin  of  Samuel 
Bingaman,  not  far  distant  from  the  present  village  of  Petersburg,  in 
the  County  of  Hardy.  It  was  jUvSt  before  daybreak,  that  being  the 
time  when  the  Indians  generally  made  their  surpises.  Mr.  Binga- 
man's  famil}^  consisted  of  himself  and  wife,  his  father  and  mother, 
and  a  hired  man.  The  first  four  were  asleep  in  the  room  below,  and 
the  hired  man  in  the  loft  above.  A  shot  was  fired  into  the  cabin, 
the  ball  passing  through  the  fleshy  part  of  the  young  Mrs.  Binga- 
man's  left  breast.  The  family  sprang  to  their  feet,  Bingaman  seiz- 
ing his  rifle,  and  the  Indians  at  the  same  moment  rushing  m  at  the 
door.  Bingaman  told  his  wife  and  father  and  mother  to  get  out  of 
the  way,  under  the  bed,  and  called  to  the  man  in  the  loft  to  come 
down,  who,  however,  never  moved.  It  was  still  dark,  and  the  In- 
dians were  prevented  from  firing,  by  a  fear  of  injuring  one  of  their 
number.  Bingaman  unrestrained  from  any  fears  of  this  kind,  laid 
about  him  with  desperation.  At  the  first  blow  his  rifle  broke  at  the 
breech,  shivering  the  stock  to  pieces  ;  but  with  the  barrel  he  con- 
tinued his  blows  until  he  had  cleared  the  room.  Daylight  now 
appearing  he  discovered  that  he  had  killed  five,  and  that  the  remain- 
ing two  were  retreating  across  the  field.  He  stepped  out,  and 
seizing  a  rifle  which  had  been  left  by  the  party,  fired  at  one  of  the 
fugitives,  wounded  and  tomahawked  him.  Tradition  relates  that 
the  other  fled  to  the  Indian  camp,  and  told  his  comrades  that  they 
had  a  fight  with  a  man  who  was  a  devil — that  he  had  killed  six  of 
them,  and  if  they  went  again  would  kill  them  all.  When  Binga- 
man, after  the  battle,  discovered  that  his  wife  was  wounded,  he 
became  frantic  with  rage  at  the  cowardice  of  the  hired  man,  and 
would  have  dispatched  him  but  for  the  entreaties  of  Mrs.  Bingaman, 
to  spare  his  life.    She  recovered  from  her  wound  in  a  short  time,  f 

It  was  the  practice  of  the  settlers  on  the  Wappatomaka  in  times 
of  danger  to  leave  the  Forts  in  numbers,  and  assist  each  other  in 
harvest.  About  the  year  1756,  a  party  of  nine  whites  left  the  Fort 
opposite  the  present  village  of  Petersburg,  to  assist  Mr.  Job  Welton 


*  Warden's  Fort  was  at  the  present  residence  of  Mr.  Benjamin  Warden, 
a  grandson  of  the  man  that  was  killed,  about  thirty-five  miles  southwest  of 
Winchester. 

f  The  author  received  the  particulars  of  this  surprising  adventure  from 
Job  Welton  and  Aaron  Welton,  Esq.,  of  Petersburg.  Mrs.  Blue,  wife  of 
Mr.  Garrett  Blue,  also  told  the  author,  that  when  she  was  a  small  girl  Binga- 
man frequently  stopped  at  her  father's  residence  on  Cheat  River,  and  she 
more  than  once  heard  him  relate  the  circumstances  of  this  affair,  and  say 
there  were  seven  Indians. 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES.  87 


to  cut  his  father's  meadow  and  hunt  the  cattle.  They  took  their 
rifles  with  them,  as  was  inevitably  the  practice  whenever  they  left 
the  Fort.  After  collecting  the  cattle,  they  turned  in  and  cut  a  por- 
tion of  the  meadow.  As  night  approached  a  proposition  was  made 
by  Mr.  Welton  to  return  to  the  Fort,  which  was  rather  opposed  by 
the  rest  of  the  party,  who,  not  having  been  molested  during  the  day, 
were  disposed  to  believe  in  their  perfect  security.  They  repaired  to 
the  house  of  the  elder  Mr.  Welton,  fronting  the  meadow,  and  within 
two  hundred  yards  of  the  present  residence  of  Aaron  Welton,  Esq. 
Here  they  wished  to  remain,  but  the  determination  was  resisted  by 
Job  Welton,  who  again  advised  to  return  to  the  P'ort.  After  some 
consultation  it  was  agreed  on  to  repair  to  the  shelter  of  a  large  elm 
tree  in  the  meadow  where  they  had  been  movv^ng,  and  where  they 
concealed  themselves  in  a  winnow  of  the  grass,  and  soon  fell  into  a 
sound  sleep ;  from  which  they  were  sometime  afterwards  aroused  by 
the  crack  of  a  rifle.  Mr.  Welton  was  lying  with  his  brother  Jona- 
than under  the  same  blanket,  and  the  latter  was  shot  through  the 
heart.  The  party  sprang  to  their  feet  and  attempted  to  escape.  In 
his  alarm,  Mr.  Welton  forgot  his  rifle,  and  fled  in  compan}^  with  a 
Mr.  Delay.  They  had  proceeded  about  two  hundred  yards,  pur- 
sued by  an  Indian,  when  Delay  wheeled  and  discharged  his  rifle, 
which  brought  his  pursuer  down.  At  the  same  instant  that  Delay 
wheeled,  the  Indian  threw  his  tomahawk,  which  sunk  into  the  back 
of  Mr.  Welton,  severing  two  of  his  ribs.  He  fell  to  the  ground, 
supposing  himself  mortalh  wounded  by  a  rifle  ball,  while  Delay  con- 
tinued onward  pursued  by  another  Indian.  Mr.  Welton  [soon  re- 
covered from  his  surprise,  and  proceeded  cautiously  in  a  direction 
towards  the  Fort,  very  weak  from  the  loss  of  blood.  He  soon  heard 
Delay  and  the  Indian  in  a  parley  ;  the  former  being  exhausted  by 
running  and  disposed  to  yield,  and  the  latter  demanding  his  surren- 
der. Delay  agreed  to  give  up  on  condition  that  his  enemy  would  * 
spare  his  life,  which  being  solemnly  agreed  to,  he  was  reconducted 
to  the  elm  tree.  Here  a  council  was  held,  and  Delay,  v^^ith  three 
others  who  had  been  taken,  were  inhumanl}^  scalped,  from  which 
they  died  two  or  three  days  afterwards.  Mr.  Welton  w^as  able  to 
reach  the  Fort,  where  he  laid  three  months  before  his  wound  healed. 
Of  the  whole  party,  but  three  escaped,  four  were  scalped  and  died, 
and  two  were  killed  at  the  first  surprise.  The  escape  of  Mr.  Kuy- 
kendall  was  remarkable.  It  was  a  bright  moonlight  night,  while 
the  shade  of  the  elm  rendered  it  quite  dark  under  the  tree.  Mr. 
Kuykendall  being  an  old  man,  v^^as  unable  to  with  speed,  and 
therefore  remained  still,  while  his  companions  fled  across  the  mea- 
dow. The  Indians  passed  over  him,  leaving  the  rear  clear,  when 
Mr.  Kuykendall  retreated  at  his  leasure,  and  reached  the  Fort  in 
safety,  one  and-a-half  miles. 


*  Messrs.  Aaron  and  Job  Welton  related  this  tradition  to  the  author.  It 
was  thought  that  Delay  would  have  recovered  but  for  the  unskillfulness  of 


88  INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 

On  the  day  following,  the  whites  left  the  Fort  in  pursuit,  and 
overtook  their  enemy  late  that  night  on  Dunkard  Bottom,  Cheat 
River,  where  they  had  encamped.  The  pursuers  dismounted,  and 
the  Captain  ordered  Bingaman  (the  same  whose  prowess  is  related  in 
a  preceding  page)  to  guard  the  horses.  He,  however,  disobeyed, 
and  loitered  in  the  rear  of  the  party.  To  make  the  destruction  of 
the  enemy  more  certain,  it  was  deemed  advisable  to  wait  for  day- 
light before  they  began  an  attack  ;  but  a  young  man,  whose  zeal 
overcame  his  discretion,  fired  into  the  group,  upon  which  the  In- 
dians sprang  to  their  feet  and  fled.  Bingaman  singled  out  a  fellow 
of  giant-like  size,  whom  he  pursued,  throwing  his  rifle  aside  that  his 
speed  might  not  be  retarded — passed  several  smaller  Indians  in  the 
chase — came  up  with  him,  and  with  a  single  blow  of  his  hatchet,  cleft 
his  skull.  When  Bingaman  returned  to  the  battle-ground,  the  cap- 
tain sternly  observed,  I  ordered  you  to  stay  and  guard  the  horses." 
Bingaman  as  sternly  replied,  "  you  are  a  rascal,  sir  ;  you  intended  to 
disgrace  me ;  and  one  more  insolent  w^ord,  and  you  shall  share  the 
fate  of  that  Indian,"  pointing  toward  the  body  he  had  just  slain. 
The  Captain  quailed  before  the  stern  menace,  and  held  his  peace. 
He  and  Bingaman  had,  a  few  days  before  had  a  falling  out. 
Several  Indians  fell  in  this  affair,  while  the  whites  lost  none  of  their 
party. 

Dr.  Turley  stated  to  the  author  that  he  had  often  heard  Mr. 
John  Harness,  who  was  one  of  the  party  that  followed  the  Indians, 
relate  that  Delay  was  taken  to  Dunkard  Bottom,  who  when  the  In- 
dians were  then  surprised,  he  was  shot,  but  whether  by  his  captors, 
or  accidentally,  was  not  known,  Delay  himself  not  being  able  to 
tell.  He  was  conveyed  home  on  a  litter,  and  died  directly  after- 
wards. There  were,  however,  two  Delay's,  and  the  first  relation  may 
be  true. 

Mrs.  Shobe  an  aged  and  respectable  lady,  living  on  Mill  Creek, 
in  Hardy  county,  informed  the  author,  that  Delay  was  buried  on  the 
banks  of  the  South  Branch,  and  some  years  afterwards  his  skele- 
ton was  washed  out  by  the  rising  of  the  River.  She  then  heard  Job 
Welton  say,  that  Delay  had  saved  his  life,  and  he  would  take  care 
of  his  bones. 

To  show  the  spirit  of  the  times,  the  following  anecdote  is  re- 
lated. Valentine  Powers,  and  his  brother,  with  two  or  three  others, 
left  the  Fort  near  Petersburg,  *  on  a  visit  to  their  farms,  when  they 
were  fired  upon  by  the  Indians  from  a  thicket,  and  the  brother  of 
Powers  killed.  Valentine  ran,  but  soon  called  to  mind  the  saying, 
current  among  them,  that  "  it  was  a  bad  man  who  took  bad  news 
home,"  he  turned  about,  gave  himself  up  and  remained  a  prisoner 
five  or  six  years,  f 

the  surgeon,  (if  he  deserved  the  name),  who  attended  him.  The  late  Gen. 
William  Drake  married  his  widow. 

*  Called  Fort  George.    The  land  is  now  owned  by  Job  Welton,  Esq., 
f  Related  by  Aaron  Welton,  Esq. 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES.  89 


Marion  Peterson  was  taken  a  prisoner  on  the  South  Branch,  and 
carried  to  the  Sandusky  towns.  He  used  to  accompany  the  Indians 
in  their  hunting  excursions,  and  was  permitted  to  have  one  load  of 
powder  and  ball  each  day,  w^hich  he  always  discharged  at  the  game 
the}''  met  with.  As  he  gained  on  the  confidence  of  his  captors,  they 
increased  his  allowance  to  two  loads,  and  subsequently  to  three. 
The  same  allowance  was  made  to  two  other  Vv^hite  prisoners.  These 
three,  one  da}",  after  receiving  their  allowance,  determined  to  at- 
tempt an  escape,  and  left  the  towns  accordingly.  As  they  ventured 
to  travel  only  at  night,  guided  by  the  north  star,  their  progress  was 
exceeding  slow  and  difficult.  On  the  second  da}^  one  of  their  num- 
ber died  from  fatigue,  and  Peterson  took  his  ammunition.  A  day 
or  two  afterwards,  his  remaining  companion  also  gave  out,  and  Peter- 
son taking  his  ammunition,  left  him  to  perish.  He  then  pursued 
his  wa}^  alone,  and  after  a  succession  of  hardships,  came  at  length  in 
sight  of  the  Fort.  But  here,  when  within  reach  of  his  deliverance, 
his  hopes  were  well-nigh  blasted  ;  for  the  sentry,  mistaking  him  for 
an  Indian,  fired  !  Happily  the  ball  missed  its  aim,  and  he  was  able 
to  make  himself  known  before  the  fire  was  repeated.  This  Fort  was 
on  the  farm  now  the  residence  of  Mr.  John  Welton,  near  Petersburg, 
Hardj^  county.  * 

Seybert's  Fort,  f  was  erected  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  South 
Branch  of  the  Potomac,  on  the  land  now  owned  b}^  Mr.  Ferdinand 
Lair,  twelve  miles  northeast  of  Franklin,  the  present  county  seat  of 
Pendleton.  In  the  year  1758,  a  party  of  Indians  surprised  the  Fort, 
in  which  were  thirty  persons.  They  bound  ten,  whom  they  conveyed 
without  the  Fort,  and  then  proceeded  to  massacre  the  others  in  the 


*  Related  hy  Aaron  Welton,  Esq. 

f  The  author,  on  a  visit  to  FrankHn,  obtained  some  additional  particu- 
lars in  relation  to  the  attack  on  Seybert's  Fort :  The  party  of  Indians  was 
commanded  by  the  blood-thirsty  and  treacherous  chief,  Kill-buck.  Sey- 
bert*s  son,  a  lad  about  fifteen  years  of  age,  exhibited  great  firmness  and 
bravery  in  the  defense  of  the  post.  He  had  with  his  rifle  brought  down 
two  of  his  assailants,  when  Kill-buck  called  out  to  old  Seybert,  in  English, 
to  surrender,  and  their  lives  should  be  spared.  At  that  instant  young  Sey- 
bert, having  charged  his  rifle,  was  in  the  act  of  presenting  it  at  Kill-buck, 
when  his  father  seized  the  gun,  and  took  it  from  him,  observing  :  '*  We  can- 
not defend  the  Fort,  we  must  surrender  in  order  to  save  our  lives,"  confid- 
ing in  the  assurance  of  the  faithless  Kill-buck.  The  first  salutation  he 
received,  after  surrendering  the  Fort,  was  a  stroke  on  his  mouth  from  the 
monster.  Kill-buck,  with  the  pipe-end  of  his  tomahawk,  dislocating  several 
of  the  old  man's  teeth  ;  and  immediately  after  he  was  massacred  with  the 
other  victims.  Young  Seybert  was  taken  off  among  the  prisoners.  He  told 
Kill-buck  he  had  raised  his  gun  to  kill  him  ;  but  that  his  father  had  wrested 
it  from  him.  The  savage  laughed,  and  replied,  "You  little  rascal,  if  you  had 
killed  me  you  would  have  saved  the  Fort ;  for  had  I  fallen  my  warriors 
would  have  immediately  fled,  and  given  up  the  siege  in  despair."  It  is  said 
there  were  three  men  in  the  Fort,  not  one  of  whom  manifested  a  disposition 
to  aid  its  defense.  Had  they  joined  young  Seybert,  and  acted  with  the  same 
intrepidity  and  coolness,  the  place  might  have  been  saved,  and  the  awful 
sacrifice  of  the  inmates  avoided. 


12 


90  INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 

following  manner  :  They  seated  tliem  in  a  row  upon  a  log,  vnth  an 
Indian  standing  behind  each  ;  and  at  a  given  signal,  each  Indian, 
sunk  his  tomahawk  into  the  head  of  his  victim  ;  an  additional  blow 
or  two  dispatched  them.  The  scene  was  witnessed  by  Jam.es  Dj-er^ 
a  lad  fourteen  years  old,  who,  not  having  been  removed  without  the 
Fort,  supposed  that  he  was  to  be  massacred.  He  was,  however^ 
spared,  and  taken  to  Log  Town,  sixteen  miles  below  Fort  Pitt, 
thence  to  the  mouth  of  the  Muskingum  River,  and  thence  to  the 
spot  where  Chilicothe  now  stands,  where  he  remained  a  prisoner  one 
year  and  ten  months.  He  had  by  this  time  gained  the  entire  confi- 
dence of  his  captors,  and  was  permitted  to  accompany  them  to  Fort 
Pitt  on  a  trading  expedition.  When  there  he  planned  his  escape, 
and  happily  succeeded.  Being  sent  out  for  som.e  bread  with  an  In- 
dian lad,  he  slipped  into  a  hovel,  unobserved  by  his  companion,  and 
implored  the  protection  of  the  poor  woma.n  who  occupied  it.  She 
told  him  to  get  behind  a  chest,  the  onl}-  furniture  in  the  room,  and 
threw  upon  him  a  bed.  The  Indians,  on  missing  him,  spent  the 
afternoon  in  search,  during  which  the}''  looked  into  the  ver}'  hovel 
where  he  was,  and  left  the  place  the  next  morning  on  tlieir  return. 
Fort  Pitt  being  then  in  the  possession  of  the  English,  a  trooper  very 
kindly  conve3'ed  him  six  or  seven  miles  behind  him,  whence  he 
made  his  wa}^  to  his  friends  in  Pennsylvania,  where  he  remained  tw^o 
years  longer,  and  then  returned  to  South  Fork.  ^ 

Another  tradition  says  that  Seybert's  Fort  was  not  surprised. 
It  had  been  invested  for  two  or  three  da3's,  and  after  two  Indians 
had  been  killed,  the  garrison  agreed  to  surrender  on  condition  that 
their  lives  should  be  spared,  which  was  solemnly  pledged.  The  gate 
was  then  opened,  and  the  Indians  rushed  in  vvith  demoniac  j^ells. 
The  whites  then  fled  with  precipitation,  but  were  retaken,  with  the 
exception  of  one  man.  The  m^assacre  then  took  place,  as  before  re- 
lated, and  ten  were  taken  off  as  prisoners. 

Another  tradition  says,  that,  on  the  Fort's  being  given  up  the 
Indians  seated  twenty  of  the  garrison  in  two  rows,  all  of  w^hom  they 
killed  except  the  wife  of  Jacob  Peterson.  When  they  reached  her, 
an  Indian  interposed  to  save  her  life,  and  some  altercation  ensued. 
The  friendly  Indian  at  length  prevailed  ;  and  throwing  her  a  pair  of 
moccasins,  told  her  to  march  off  with  the  prisoners.  How  long  she 
remained  in  captivit}^  is  not  remembered,  f 

The  Indians  killed  John  Brake's  wife  on  the  South  Fork  of  the 
Wappatomaka.  John  Brake  became  conspicious  in  the  w^ar  of  the 
revolution,  which  will  be  noticed  hereafter.  Frederick  Jice  had  his 
w^hole  family  killed,  with  the  exception  of  himself  and  one  son.  A 
man  named  Williams  and  his  wife  were  also  killed.  Richard  Wil- 
liams, and  his  wife  and  little  daughter  were  taken  prisoners  ;  the  latter 

*  Related  by  Zebulon  Dyer,  Esq.,  Clerk  of  Pendleton  county,  and  son  of 
the  James  Dyer  mentioned. 

\  Mrs.  Shobe  informed  the  author  that  she  had  heard  the  wife  of  Jacob 
Peterson  frequently  relate  this. 


INDIAN  INCUP.SIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 


91 


was  only  eighteen  months  old  when  taken,  remained  with  the  In- 
dians until  she  was  thirteen,  and  was  then  brought  home.  She  had 
learned  the  Indian  language  perfectly  ;  afterwards  learned  to  speak 
English, but  there  w^ere  some  words  she  never  could  pronounce  plainl}^ 
She  married  Uriah  Blue,  on  the  South  Branch. 

About  eight  miles  below  Romney  stood  a  Fort.  In  time  of 
harvest  a  Mrs.  Hogeland  went  out  about  three  hundred  3'ards  to 
gather  beans,  two  men  accompanying  her  as  a  guard.  While  gather- 
ing the  beans,  eight  or  ten  Indians  made  their  appearance.  One  of 
the  guards  instantly  fled  ;  the  other,  whose  name  was  Hogeland, 
called  to  the  woman  to  run  to  the  Fort,  and  placing  himself  between 
her  and  the  enemy,  vv^ith  his  rifle  cocked  and  presented,  retreated 
from  tree  to  tree  until  both  entered  it.  Some  old  men  in  the  Fort 
fired  off  their  guns  to  alarm  the  harvest  hands,  who  ran  into  it,  the 
Indians  from  the  side  of  the  mountain  firing  upon  them,  but  doing 
no  injury.  The  same  day  the  harvest  hands  were  waylaid  as  they 
returned  to  their  work,  fired  upon  Henr^^  Newkirk  and  wounded 
him  in  the  hip.  The  whites  returned  the  fire,  and  w^ounded  an  In- 
dian, vv-ho  dropped  his  gun  and  fied.  The  others  also  made  off,  and 
the  harvest  hands  proceeded  to  their  work. 

In  1756,  while  the  Indians  were  lurking  about  Fort  Pleasant 
and  constantly  on  the  watch  to  cut  oil  all  communication  therewith, 
a  lad  named  Higgins,  aged  about  twelve  years,  was  directed  by  his 
mother  to  go  to  the  spring,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  without  the 
Fort,  and  bring  a  bucket  of  v/ater.  He  complied  with  much  trepi- 
dation, and  persuaded  a  companion  of  his,  of  about  the  same  age, 
to  accompany  him.  The}'  repaired  to  the  spring  as  cautiously  as 
possible,  and  after  filling  their  buckets,  ran  with  speed  towards  the 
Fort,  Higgins  taking  the  lead.  When  about  half  way  to  the  Fort, 
and  Higgins  had  got  about  thirty  yards  before  his  companion,  he 
heard  a  scream  from  the  latter,  which  caused  him  to  increase  his  speed 
to  the  utmost.  He  reached  the  Fort  in  safety,  while  his  companion 
was  captured  by  the  Indians,  and  taken  to  the  settlements,  where 
he  remained  until  the  peace,  and  was  then  restored.  The  young 
Higgins  subsequently  becam.e  the  active  Capt.  Robert  Higgins  in  our 
revolutionary  army,  and  after  raising  a  numerous  family  Virginia, 
removed  with  them  to  the  west.  * 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Moorefield  a  party  of  men  were  mowing 
for  Peter  Casey.  They  had  placed  their  guns  under  a  large  tree  in 
the  edge  of  the  meadow,  and  old  Peter  stood  sentinel  to  watch  and 
give  the  alarm  should  the  enemy  make  their  appearance.  In 
a  short  time  a  party  of  Indians  discovered  the  hands  at 
work ;  and  cautiously  crept  through  the  brambles  and  shrub- 
bery in  order  to  get  a  position  to  make  a  deadly  fire.  One 
of  them  was  in  front  of  the  others,  and  had  approached 
very  near  old  Peter  before  the  latter  saw  him,   when   the  old 


*  Related  by  Col.  Isaac  Vanmeter. 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 


man  flew  at  Mm  with  his  cane  raised,  crjdng  out,  "  By  the  Lord, 
boys,  here  they  come  !  "  The  Indian,  desperately  frightened,  took 
to  his  heels  ;  the  men  flew  to  their  guns  ;  and  the  skulking  savages 
retreated  precipitately,  without  firing  a  single  shot.  It  is  not  im- 
probable that  Casey  still  used  the  same  stick  with  which  he  ' '  knocked 
Kill-buck  down."  ^ 

The  author  finding  this  chaper  running  to  a  tedious  and  per- 
haps tiresome  length  to  the  reader,  will  give  his  pen  a  short  respite, 
and  resume  his  narrative  of  Indian  outrages  in  the  next  chapter. 

*  Related  by  Col .  Isacc  Vanmeter. 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES.  93 


CHAPTER  IX. 

INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES.  —  C07lti7iued. 

On  Stony  Creek,  five  or  six  miles  S.  W.  of  Woodstock,  there  was 
a  Fort  called  "Wolfe's  Fort,"  where  the  people  took  shelter  from 
the  Indians  for  several  j^ears.  Mr.  Wolfe  would  venture  out  some- 
times for  the  purpose  of  killing  game,  and  w^as  always  accompanied 
by  a  favorite  dog.  On  one  particular  occasion,  this  faithful  animal 
saved  his  master's  life.  Mr.  Wolfe  walked  out  with  his  gun  and 
dog,  but  had  not  proceeded  far  before  the  latter  manifested  great 
alarm,  and  used  all  his  ingenuity  to  induce  his  master  to  return. 
He  repeatedly  crOvSsed  his  path,  endeavoring  to  obstruct  his  walk  ; 
would  raise  himself  up,  and  place  his  feet  against  his  master's  breast, 
and  strive  to  push  him  back  ;  would  run  a  few  steps  toward  the  fort, 
and  then  return  w^hining.  From  the  extraordinary  manifestations 
of  uneasiness  on  the  part  of  the  dog,  Mr.  Wolfe  began  to  suspect 
there  was  some  lurking  danger,  of  course  kept  a  sharp  look  out,  and 
soon  discovered  an  Indian  at  some  distance  behind  a  tree,  watching 
and  waiting  until  he  should  come  near  enough  to  be  a  sure  mark. 
Mr.  Wolfe  made  a  safe  retreat  into  the  Fort,  and  ever  after  felt 
the  highest  gratitude  to  his  honest  and  faithful  dog.  The  dog  lived 
to  be  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  probably  more.*  Ulysses's 
dog  "Argus"  is  much  celebrated  in  history  ;  but  it  is  verj^  ques- 
tionable whether  Argus  ever  rendered  more  important  service  to 
his  lord  and  master.  Ulysses  was  one  of  the  commanding  generals 
of  the  Greeks  in  the  Trojan  w^ar,  and  was  absent  twentj-  3^ears,  it  is 
said  from  his  home.  The  story  of  his  dog  is  related  by  Homer 
to  the  following  beautiful  poetical  effusions  :  f 

Thus  near  the  gates  conferring  as  they  drew, 
Argus,  the  dog,  his  ancient  master  knew  ; 
He,  not  unconscious  of  the  voice  and  tread. 
Lifts  to  the  sound  his  ear,  and  rears  his  head ; 


*  Moses  Russell,  Esq.,  of  the  county  of  Frederick,  gave  the  author  a 
detail  of  the  particulars  of  this  extraordinary  story,  and  stated,  that  when 
he  was  a  young  man  he  once  called  at  Mr.  Wolfe's  house  and  saw  the  dog. 
He  appeared  to  be  decript  and  suffering  pain,  and  he  asked  Mr.  "Wolfe 
if  he  had  not  better  kill  the  dog,  and  put  him  out  of  misery.  Mr.  Wolfe 
with  much  emphasis  replied,  "  No,  I  would  as  readily  consent  to  be  killed 
myself  as  to  kill  that  dog,  or  suffer  him  to  be  killed  ;  he  once  saved  my  life;" 
and  Mr.  Wolfe  then  related  the  above  story.  The  dog  was  then  twenty-one 
years  old. 

•f  It  is  said  that  Argus  was  the  only  creature  that  immediately  recognized 
his  master  on  his  return  to  his  place  from  his  twenty  years'  absence. 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES 


Bred  by  Ulysses,  nourish'd  at  his  board, 

But  ah  !  not  fated  long  to  please  his  lord  ! 

To  him,  his  swiftness  and  his  strength  were  vain  ; 

The  voice  of  glory  called  him  o'er  the  main, 

Till  then  in  every  sylvan  chase  renown'd. 

With  Argus,  Argus,  rung  the  woods  around  ; 

With  him  the  youth  pursu'd  the  goat  or  fawn, 

Or  trac'd  the  mazy  leveret  o'er  the  lawn, 

Now  left  to  man's  ingratitude  he  lay, 

Unhous'd,  neglected  in  the  public  way  ; 

And  where  on  heaps  the  rich  manure  was  spread. 

Obscene  with  reptiles,  took  his  sordid  bed. 

He  knew  his  lord ;  he  knew  and  strove  to  meet ; 
In  vain  he  strove  to  crawl,  and  kiss  his  feet, 
Yet  (all  he  could)  his  tail,  his  ears,  his  eyes. 
Salute  his  master,  and  confess  his  joys. 
Soft  pity  touch'd  the  mighty  master's  soul  ; 
Adown  his  cheek  a  tear  unbidden  stole. 
Stole  unperceiv'd,  he  turn'd  his  head,  and  dried 
The  drop  humane  ;  then  thus  impassion'd  cried  ; 

"  What  noble  beast  in  this  abandon'd  state, 
Lies  here  all  helpless  at  Ulysses'  gate  ? 
His  bulk  and  beauty  speak  no  vulgar  praise  ; 
If,  as  he  seems,  he  was  in  better  days, 
Some  care  his  age  deserves,  or  was  he  priz'd 
For  worthless  beauty,  therefore  now  despised  ? 
Such  dogs,  and  men  there  are,  mere  things  of  state, 
And  always  cherish'd  by  their  friends,  the  great." 

"  Not  Argus  so,  (Emmaeus  thus  rejoin'd) 
But  serv'd  a  master  of  a  nobler  kind. 
Who  never,  never,  shall  behold  him  more  ! 
Long,  long  since  perish'd  on  a  distant  shore  ! 
O  had  you  seen  him,  vigorous  bold  and  young. 
Swift  as  a  stag,  and  as  a  lion  strong  ; 
Him,  no  fell  savage  an  the  plain  withstood, 
None  scalp'd  him,  bosom'd  in  the  gloomy  wood  ; 
His  eye  how  piercing  and  his  scent  how  true. 
To  wind  the  vapor  in  the  tainted  dew  ? 
Such,  when  Ulysses  left  his  natal  coast, 
Now  years  unnerve  him,  and  his  lord  is  lost, 
The  women  keep  the  generous  creature  bare, 
A  sleek  and  idle  race  is  all  their  care  ; 
The  master  gone,  the  servants  what  restrains  ? 
Or  dwells  humanity  where  riot  reigns  ? 
Jove  nx'd  it  certain,  that  whatever  day 
Makes  man  a  slave,  takes  half  his  worth  away." 

This  said,  the  honest  herdsmen  strode  before, 
The  musing  monarch  pauses  at  the  door. 
The  dog  whom  fate  had  granted  to  heboid 
His  lord  when  twenty  tedious  years  had  roll'd. 
Takes  a  last  look,  and  having  seen  him,  dies  ; 
So  clos'd  forever  faithful  Argus'  eyes  ! 


There  was  no  poet  at  the  time  to  transmit  the  name  and  fame  of 
Mr.  Wolfe's  dog  to  posterity.  Bitropean  authors,  in  their  prejudices, 
have  on  various  occasions  endeavored  to  disparague  every  thing  of 
American  production.  The  Count  de  Buff  on  is  among  the  number. 
Bnghshmen  dehght  in  the  disparagement  of  the  American  quadru- 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 


peds.  In  the  Family  Encyclopedia,  an  English  work,  tinder  the 
article  "dogs,"  it  is  asserted  that  "  when  English  dogs  are  trans- 
ported to  other  countries,  the}^  degenerate,  and  become  compara- 
tively worthless  !  "  It  is  believed  the  annals  of  the  v/orld  may  be 
safel}^  challenged  to  produce  an  instance  of  greater  manifestation  of 
sagacit}'-  and  faithful  affection  towards  a  master,  than  vvas  ex- 
hibited by  Mr.  Wolfe's  dog  on  the  occasion  spoken  of.  But  to 
return  : 

At  the  Forks  of  Capon  stockade.  The  men  v\^ho  occupied  it  had 
to  go  about  four  miles  to  cultivate  a  fine  fertile  field  of  low  ground, 
to  produce  bread  for  their  support.  In  the  year  1757  or  1758,  two 
men,  one  named  Bowsers,  the  other  York,  vv^alked  to  the  field  to  see 
how  things  were  going  on.  On  their  return  in  the  evening  the}^ 
were  waylaid  b}'  seven  Indians.  Bowers  was  shot  and  fell  dead  ; 
York  ran,  was  pursued  by  three  Indians,  and  took  across  a  high 
ridge.  One  of  his  pursuers  tired  before  he  reached  the  top  ;  the 
others  continued  the  chase.  After  running  a  considerable  distance, 
a  second  gave  out.  The  third  got  so  near  that  he  several  times 
extended  his  arm  to  seize  York,  but  failed,  and  York  got  safe  into 
the  fort.  * 

On  Patterson's  Creek,  at  the  present  site  of  Frankfort,  Ashby's 
Fort  was  erected.  It  was  at  this  place  that  the  celebrated  race  took 
place  between  the  late  Capt.  John  Ashby  and  three  Indians.  Capt. 
Ashb}^  had  walked  out  from  the  Fort  with  his  gun,  and  after  pro- 
ceeding some  distance  discovered  three  Indians,  who  knew  him,  but 
a  little  way  off.  He  turned  and  ran  ;  two  of  the  Indians  fired,  but 
missed  him  ;  the}^  all  three  then  gave  chase,  but  Ashb}^  was  too 
swift  for  them  ;  and  vvhen  they  saw  they  could  not  overhaul  him, 
one  of  them  called  out,  "Run,  Jack  Ashby,  run!"  He  replied, 
looking  over  his  shoulder,  "  You  fools,  do  you  think  I  run  booty  ?" 
(with  boots). 

Near  the  Fort,  Charles  Keller  was  killed,  the  grandfather  of 
Mr.  Charles  Keller,  the  present  proprietor  of  the  Frankfort  Hotel,  f 

About  the  year  1756,  Daniel  Sullivan,  at  nine  years  of  age,  was 
taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians,  with  vv^hom  he  remained  nine  3^ears, 
when  he  was  brought  home.  For  some  time  he  manifested  a  desire 
to  return  to  the  Indians,  but  at  length  became  reconciled,  and  was 
afterwards  their  determined  enemy.  In  his  last  battle  with  them, 
becoming  desperately  wounded,  and  his  entrails  falling  out  in  his 
way,  he  tore  them  off,  and  continued  to  fight  until  he  fell  and  ex- 
pired. The  Indians  after  this  considered  him  something  more  than 
man.  J 

At  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jacob's  present  residence,  on  North  Branch,  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Wade  was  killed. 

*  Related  by  Mr.  John  Largent. 

f  Mr.  Keller  stated  this  fact  to  the  author. 

i  Isaac  Kuykendall,  Esq.,  of  the  South  Branch,  near  Romney,  stated 
this  fact  to  the  author,  and  added  that  Sullivan  was  his  near  relation. 


96 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 


Logan,  the  celebrated  Indian,  killed  Benjamin  Bowman,  and 
took  Huniphrej'  Worstead  prisoner.  He  compelled  the  latter 
to  halter  several  of  his  own  and  Bowman's  horses,  and  took 
them  off.  * 

At  a  battle  at  Oldtown,  John  Walker  killed  an  Indian  and 
wounded  another.  Walker  cut  out  a  part  of  the  dead  Indian's 
flesh  from  the  thick  part  of  his  thigh,  and  threw  it  to  his  dog,  who 
ate  it.  He  otherwise  mutilated  his  bod}^ ;  and  thrust  parts  of  it  into 
his  moKth. 

Thomas  Higgins  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  on  the  Cohon- 
goruton.  He  lived  about  four  miles  from  Bath,  but  was  driven 
thence,  and  removed  to  the  neighborhood  of  Gerardstown  in  the 
county  of  Berkeley.  After  his  removal,  three  of  his  sons  were  taken 
off  as  prisoners,  and  never  returned.  At  the  close  of  Dunmore's 
war,  one  of  them  was  .seen  at  Wheeling  by  a  man  who  was  acquaint- 
ed with  his  famil}",  and  asked  why  he  did  not  come  home,  since  his 
father  had  left  him  a  good  tract  of  land.  He  replied  that  he  did  not 
wish  to  live  with  white  people,  the}'  would  always  call  him  Indian, 
and  he  had  land  enough,  f 

The  wife  of  the  late  Walter  Denn}',  of  Frederick  county,  was 
taken  b}^  the  Indians  when  a  small  child,  and  grew  up  among  them. 
Her  maiden  name  was  Flaugherty.  After  returning  from  her  cap- 
tivity she  married  Walter  Denn)',  who  resided  some  time  after  his 
marriage  in  the  neighborhood  of  Pittsburg.  In  1774  the  Indians 
advised  him  to  move  off,  as  the}'  intended  to  go  to  war  with  the 
whites.  Mr.  Denny  removed  and  settled  in  the  county  of  Frederick. 
The  author  recollects  of  frequently  seeing  this  man.  A  Miss 
Williams  was  also  taken  about  the  same  time  ;  she,  too,  grew  up  with 
the  Indians.  Those  two  female  children  were  taken  on  Patter- 
son's Creek. 

There  is  a  tradition  of  a  battle  fought  on  Patterson's  Creek,  be- 
tween the  whites  and  Indians,  the  Spring  before  Braddock's  defeat  ; 
but  the  author  has  not  been  able  to  obtain  the  particulars,  except 
that  the  Indians  were  defeated. 

The  Indians  killed  Oliver  Krem.er,  in  Short  Gap,  and  took  his 
wife  prisoner. 

In  the  year  1764,  a  party  of  eighteen  Delawares  crossed  the 
mountains.  Furman's  Fort  w^as  about  one  mile  above  the  Hanging 
Rock,  on  the  South  Branch.  William  Furman  and  Nimrod  Ashby 
had  gone  out  from  the  Fort  to  watch  a  deer  lick  in  the  Jersey  Moun- 
tain. X  The  Indians  discovered  and  killed  them  both,  and  passed  on 
into  the  county  of  Frederick,  where  they  divided  into  two  parties. 
One  party  of  eight  moved  on  to  the  Cedar  Creek  settlement ;  the 
other  of  ten  to  attack  the  people  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  present 

*  Related  by  Mr.  Gerret  Blue,  of  the  North  Branch. 

I  Related  by  Mr.  James  Higgins  of  the  North  Branch, 

X  So  called  from  its  being  first  settled  by  immigrants  from  New  Jersey. 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 


99 


relate  the  circumstances  attending  the  murder  of  her  husband  and 
children,  and  her  own  sufferings,  without  shedding  a  tear.  Either 
five  or  seven  of  the  persons  wounded  b}'  the  Indians,  were  taken  to 
the  Fort  of  Maj.  Robert  White's,  and  attended  b}^  Dr.  McDonald, 
though  but  one  recovered,  Hester  Lloyd,  who  had  two  scalps  taken 
from  her." 

Mrs.  Thomas'  daughter,  and  Mrs.  Clouser  and  her  three  small 
daughters,  were  taken  to  the  Indian  towns,  and  after  an  absence  of 
about  six  months,  v/ere  released  from  captivity,  and  all  returned 
home  safely. 

There  is  something  remarkable  in  the  history  of  the  three  Miss 
Clouser's,  who  were  all  prisoners  at  the  same  time.  The  eldest  was 
about  ten  3'ears  old,  the  next  eldest  about  seven,  and  the  youngest 
between  five  and  six.  They  all  returned  home  from  their  captivity, 
grew  up,  were  married,  raised  families  of  children,  and  are  now 
widows,  living  in  the  same  neighborhood,  not  more  than  five  or  six 
miles  apart.  Two  of  them,  Mrs.  Shultz,  and  Mrs.  Snapp,  reside 
about  one  and-a-half  miles  from  the  residence  of  the  author,  and  the 
third,  Mrs.  Fry,  is  not  exceeding  six  miles. 

Miss  Lloyd,  who  was  "tomahawked  and  scalped,"  was  soon  dis- 
covered not  to  be  dead.  The  late  Dr.  McDonald  w^as  sent  for,  w^ho 
trepanned  her  in  the  several  fractures  in  her  head.  She  recovered 
and  lived  many  5'ears  after.  There  are  several  respectable  individu- 
als now  living  who  knew  this  woman.  * 

The  other  party  of  eight  Indians  committed  several  murders  on 
Cedar  Creek.  It  is  probable  this  party  killed  a  Mr.  Lyle,  a  Mr. 
Butler,  and  many  others.  Mr.  Ellis  Thomas,  the  husband  of  the 
woman  whose  story  has  just  been  given,  w^as  killed  the  harv^est  pre- 
ceding. This  party  of  eight  Indians  took  off  two  female  prisoners, 
were  pursued  by  a  party  of  white  men,  overtaken  in  the  South 
Branch  Mountain,  and  fired  upon,  wdien  one  of  the  Indians  was 
killed.  The  others  fled,  leaving  their  guns,  prisoners  and  plunder. f 
The  prisoners  and  property  were  brought  home.  Two  of  the  fugi- 
tives overtook  the  party  in  the  Alleghany  Mountain  wdio  had  Mrs. 
Clouser,  her  daughters,  and  other  prisoners,  in  custody.  The  fugi- 
tives appeared  in  desperate  ill-humor,  and  proposed  to  murder  the 
prisoners,  but  the  others  peremptorily  objected,  and  would  not  suffer 
their  prisoners  to  be  injured.  J 

The  same  year,  1764,  a  party  of  eight  Indians,  with  a  white 
man,  by  the  name  of  Abraham  Mittchell,  killed  George  Miller,  his 
wife  and  tw^o  children,  within  about  two  miles  of  Strasburg.  They 
also  the  sam.e  day  killed  John  Dellinger,  on  the  land  now  the  resi- 

*  General  Smith,  Maj.  R.  D.  Glass,  Miss  Susan  Glass,  Mrs.  Shultz,  and 
Mrs.  Snapp,  severally  stated  to  the  author  that  they  frequently  saw  this 
woman  after  she  recovered  from  her  wounds.  Mrs.  Shultz  states  that  it  was 
on  the  first  day  of  June  the  outrage  was  committed. 

I  Moses  Russell,  Esq. 

X  Mrs.  Shultz  and  Mrs.  Snapp. 


loo         INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 


dence  of  Capt.  Anthony  Spengler,  adjoining  the  town,  and  took 
Rachel  Dellinger,  with  her  infant  child,  prisoners.  It  was  a  male 
child,  very  stout,  and  heav}'  of  its  age.  In  crossing  Sandy  Ridge, 
west  of  Capon  River,  this  child  had  its  brains  beaten  out  against  a 
tree.  A  party  of  white  men  pursued  them,  overtook  them  in  the 
South  Branch  Mountain,  fired  upon  them,  and  killed  one,  w^hen  the 
others  fled,  leaving  ever3^thing  behind.  Rachel  Dellinger  was 
brought  home,  and  stated  that  the  unprincipled  scoundrel  Mitchell 
was  with  the  Indians.  About  twelve  months  before,  Mitchell  had 
been  punished  for  a  petty  act  of  theft,  while  the  people  were  at 
Bowman's  Fort.    Miller  and  Dellinger  inflicted  the  punishment.  * 

At  the  massacre  of  the  people  near  White's  Fort,  one  of  Mrs. 
Thomas'  daughters,  when  the  people  were  preparing  to  go  to  the 
Fort,  w^as  requested  by  Mrs.  Closer  to  take  a  bottle  of  milk,  in  her 
hand,  and  carry  it  to  the  Fort.  When  the  Indians  assailed  them, 
this  young  v/oman  concealed  herself  behind  a  tree,  and  finally  es- 
caped. As  soon  as  she  could  run  off  without  being  discovered,  she 
started  and  run  eight  or  nine  miles  with  the  bottle  of  milk  in  her 
hand.  She  was  met  by  two  of  the  Fawcetts,  near  their  residence, 
informed  them  of  what  had  happened,  and  they  forthwith  removed 
their  families  to  Stephen's  Fort,  f 

A  little  son  of  Mrs.  Thomas  concealed  himself  under  a  pile  of 
flax,  which  the  Indians  set  on  fire.  As  the  fire  progressed,  the  little 
fellow  kept  in  a  direction  to  avoid  it,  while  the  smoke  concealed  him 
from  the  sight  of  the  enemy,  and  he  got  safe  to  the  Fort. 

Thomas  Pugh  resided  at  the  time  on  the  farm,  late  the  residence 
of  Mr.  John  M'Cool,  eight  or  nine  miles  northvv'cst  of  Winchester. 
The  same  party  of  Indians  who  committed  the  outrage  near  White's 
Fort,  on  the  night  after  were  lurking  about  Mr.  Pugh's  house.  His 
dog  gave  the  alarm  ;  and  from  his  singular  behavior,  and  manifesta- 
tions of  rage,  (as  if  he  were  engaged  in  a  furious  battle),  Mr.  Pugh 
cautiously  looked  out  of  a  window,  and  although  it  was  rather  a 
dark  night,  he  discovered  several  Indians  looking  over  a  cluster  of 
briars,  but  a  short  distance  from  the  house.  He  and  his  wife  and 
children  immediately  retreated  through  a  back  door,  and  pushed  off. 
They  had  not  gone  far,  when  Pugh  recollected  his  money  ;  he  turned 
back,  got  into  the  house,  secured  his  money,  took  it  with  him,  and 
saved  himself  and  family  from  injury.  During  the  whole  time  Pugh 
and  his  family  were  making  their  escape,  the  dog  continued  his  up- 
roar, and  as  soon  as  the}'  were  out  of  danger  followed  them.  J  The 


*  The  late  Mrs.  Brinker  related  the  particulars  of  these  occurrences  to 
the  author.  Major  Isaac  Hite  recollects  when  Miller  and  Dellinger  were 
killed. 

f  Stephen's  Fort  was  the  spot  where  Zane's  iron  works  were  afterwards 
erected  on  Cedar  Creek.  Mr.  Elisha  Fawcett,  a  near  neighbor  of  the  author, 
a  higly  respectable  and  intelligent  man,  stated  to  the  author  that  he  had  fre- 
quently heard  his  father  and  uncle  speak  of  this  occurrence. 

X  Mr.  Joseph  Hackney  informed  the  author  that  he  had  frequently  heard 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES.  loi 


Indians  broke  into  the  house,  robbed  it  of  what  the}^  chose,  and  des- 
troyed the  furniture,  but  they  did  not  burn  the  building.  It  is  said 
they  burnt  but  comparatively  few  houses,  because  they  expected  to 
reconquor  the  country,  and  return  to  inhabit  it  ;  in  which  event  they 
would  have  comfortable  houses  ready  built  to  their  hands  ;  hence 
they  generally  spared  the  buildings. 

About  the  year  1765,  the  Indians  made  their  appearance  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Woodstock,  in  the  County  of  Shenandoah.  On 
Narrow  Passage  Creek,  eighteen  or  twent}'  women  and  children  had 
collected  together,  in  order  to  go  to  the  Fort  at  Woodstock.  An  old 
man  by  the  name  of  George  Sigler  was  with  them.  Five  Indians 
attacked  them.  Sigler,  after  firing,  and  wounding  one  in  the  leg, 
clubbed  his  gun  and  fought  to  desperation.  While  he  was  thus  en- 
gaged, the  women  and  children  made  their  escape,  and  got  safe  to 
the  Fort.  Sigler  broke  his  gun  over  the  heads  of  the  enemy, 
wounded  several  of  them  prett}"  severeh',  and  received  himself 
several  wounds,  but  continued  to  fight  until  he  fell  from  the  loss  of 
blood,  when  his  merciless  enemies  mangled  his  body  in  a  manner 
shocking  to  behold.  ^ 

In  1766  the  Indians  made  another  visit  to  the  neighborhood  of 
Woodstock.  Two  men,  by  the  name  of  Sheets  and  Tajdor,  had 
taken  their  wives  and  children  into  a  wagon,  and  were  on  their  wa}' 
to  the  Fort.  At  the  Narrow  Passage,  three  miles  south  of  Wood- 
stock, five  Indians  attacked  them.  The  two  mien  were  killed  at  the 
first  onset,  and  the  Indians  rushed  to  seize  the  woman  and  children. 
The  women,  instead  of  swooning  at  the  sight  of  their  bleeding,  ex- 
piring husbands,  seized  their  axes,  and  with  Amazonian  firmness, 
and  strength  almost  superhuman,  defending  themselves  and  children. 
One  of  the  Indians  had  succeeded  in  getting  hold  of  one  of  Mrs. 
Sheet's  children,  and  attempt  to  drag  it  out  of  the  wagon ;  but  with 
the  quickness  of  lightning  she  caught  her  child  in  one  hand,  and 
with  the  other  made  a  blow  at  the  head  of  the  fellow,  which  caused 
him  to  quit  his  hold  to  save  his  life.  Several  of  the  Indians  received 
pretty  sore  wounds  in  this  conflict,  and  all  at  last  ran  off,  leaving  the 
two  women  with  their  children  to  pursue  their  way  to  the  Fort. 

In  the  latter  part  of  August,  the  same  year,  a  party  of  eight 
Indians  and  a  worthless  villian  of  a  white  man  crossed  Powell's  Fort 
Mountain,  to  the  South  Fork  of  the  Shenandoah,  at  the  late  resi- 
dence of  John  Gatewood,  Esq.,  where  the  Rev.  John  Roads,  a  Men- 
onist  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  then  lived.  Mr.  Roads,  his  wife,  and 
three  of  his  sons,  w^ere  murdered.  Mr.  Roads  was  standing  in  his 
door,  when  he  was  shot  and  fell  dead.  Mrs.  Roads  and  one  of  her 
sons  were  killed  in  the  yard.    One  of  the  young  men  was  at  the 


Mr.  Pugh  relate  this  occurrence.  This  is  another  instance  of  the  extraordin- 
ary evidence  of  the  sagacity  and  affection  of  the  dog,  and  is  little  inferior  to 
the  story  of  Mr.  Wolfe's  dog. 

*  Mr.  Christian  Miller,  a  very  aged  and  intelligent  man,  gave  the  author 
this  narrative. 


I02 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES 


distance  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  from  the  house,  in  a 
corn  field.  Hearing  the  report  of  the  guns  at  the  house,  he  as- 
cended a  pear  tree  to  see  what  it  meant,  where  he  was  discovered  by 
an  Indian  and  instantly  killed.  The  third  poor  young  lad  attempt- 
ed to  save  himself  by  flight,  and  to  cross  the  river,  but  was  pursued 
and  killed  in  the  river.  The  place  is  called  the  Bloody  Ford  to  this 
day.  The  enemy  demanded  of  the  youth  who  was  killed  in  the 
3'ard,  where  his  father  kept  his  mone}^  ;  and  was  told  that  if  he  did 
not  immediately  point  out  the  place,  they  would  kill  him  ;  but  if  he 
would  show  them  the  money,  his  life  would  be  spared.  On  his  de- 
claring he  could  not  tell  them,  he  was  instantly  shot  and  fell  dead. 
Mr.  Road's  eldest  daughter,  Elizabeth,  caught  up  her  little  sister,  a 
child  about  sixteen  or  eighteen  months  old,  ran  into  the  barn,  and 
secured  the  door.  An  Indian  discovered  and  pursued  her,  and  at- 
tempted to  force  the  door  ;  but  not  succeeding,  he  with  many  oaths 
and  threats  ordered  her  to  open  it.  On  her  refusing,  the  fellow  ran 
back  to  the  house  to  get  fire,  and  while  he  was  gone,  Elizabeth 
crept  out  of  a  hole  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  barn,  with  her 
little  sister  in  her  arms,  ran  through  a  field  of  tall  hemp,  crossed  the 
river,  and  got  safe  to  a  neighboring  house,  and  thus  saved  herself 
and  sister. 

After  plundering  the  house  of  such  articles  as  they  chose  to 
take,  the  Indians  set  fire  to  all  the  buildings,  and  left  the  dead 
body  of  Mr.  Roads  to  be  consumed  in  the  flames.  *  They  then 
moved  off,  taking  with  them  two  of  the  sons  and  two  of  the  daugh- 
ters prisoners.  The  youngest  prisoners  was  a  weak,  sickly  little 
boy,  eight  or  nine  years  of  age  ;  he  of  course  was  not  able  to  stand 
the  fatigue  of  traveling,  and  crossing  the  head  of  Powell's  Fort,  they 
killed  him.  His  two  sisters  then  refusing  to  go  any  farther  with 
them,  were  barbarously  murdered,  and  their  bodies  left  a  prey  to 
wolves  and  other  wild  beasts.  The  other  boy  was  taken  off  and  re- 
mained about  three  years  in  captivity  before  he  returned  home.  It 
w^as  generally  believed  at  the  time,  that  the  white  scoundrel  who 
was  with  the  Indians,  induced  them  to  commit  this  horrid  murder, 
in  order  to  rob  Mr.  Roads  of  his  money  ;  but  he  missed  his  object. 
Mr.  Roads  kept  his  mone}^  and  title  papers  in  a  niche  in  the  cellar 
wall,  the  dampness  and  coolness  preserved  them  from  injury.  They 
were  all  found  safe. 

It  was  quite  a  common  thing  with  the  Germans  to  have  garners 
fixed  in  their  garrets  to  preserve  their  grain.  There  was  a  quantity 
of  rye  aloft  in  the  dwelling  house,  which  was  burnt  to  coal,  and  as 


*  Mrs.  Stover,  the  mother  of  Daniel  Stover,  Esq.,  now  of  Page  county, 
stated  to  the  author  that  she  was  then  about  fifteen  years  old,  and  dis- 
tinctly saw  the  houses  in  flames  from  her  father's  residense,  about  two 
miles  off,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  ;  and  the  next  day  the  neigh- 
boring people  collecting  to  bury  the  dead,  found  Mr.  Roads'  body  about  half 
consumed. 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES.  103 


the  floors  gave  way  to  the  flames,  the  rye  fell  in  a  considerable  body 
into  the  cellar.  At  any  time  upon  digging  in  the  ruins  of  the  cellar, 
the  grains  of  rye,  or  rather  coal,  can  be  found  ;  the  shape  of  the 
grain  being  as  perfect  as  when  in  its  natural  state. 

With  this  bloody  tragedy  ended  the  erruptions  of  the  savages 
upon  the  people  of  the  Valle}^.  This  was  the  last  great  outrage  of 
savage  warfare  committed  east  of  the  North  Mountain. 

There  are  several  other  interesting  occurrences  which  the  au- 
thor overlooked  and  omitted  to  record  in  due  order  of  time.  They 
are  of  a  character  too  interesting  to  be  lost  in  the  history  of  our 
country.    He  will  therefore  proceed  to  relate  them. 

About  the  year  1760,  two  Indians  were  discovered  lurking  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Mill  Creek.  Matthias  Painter,  John  Painter 
and  William  Moore,  armed  themselves  and  went  in  pursuit.  They 
had  not  proceeded  far,  before  they  approached  a  large  fallen  pine, 
with  a  very  bushy  top.  As  they  neared  the  tree,  Matthias  Painter 
observed,  We  had  better  look  sharp,  it  is  quite  likely  the  Indians 
are  concealed  under  the  tops  of  this  tree."  He  had  scarcely  uttered 
the  words  before  one  of  the  Indians  rose  up  and  fired.  The  ball 
grazed  the  temple  of  John  Painter.  Moore  and  Painter  fired  at  the 
same  instant;  one  of  their  balls  passed  through  the  Indian's  body, 
and  he  fell,  they  supposed  dead  enough.  The  other  fellow  fled,  leav- 
ing his  gun  and  everything  else  behind.  The  white  men  pursued 
him  some  distance,  but  the  fugitive  was  too  fleet  for  them.  Find- 
ing they  could  not  overhaul  him,  the}^  gave  up  the  chase  and  re- 
turned to  the  pine  tree  ;  but  to  their  astonishment,  the  supposed 
dead  Indian  had  moved  off  with  both  guns  and  a  large  pack  of  skins, 
&c.  They  pursued  his  trail,  and  when  he  found  they  were  gaining 
upon  him,  he  got  into  a  sink  hole,  and  as  soon  as  they  approached 
pretty  near,  commenced  firing  at  them.  He  had  poured  out  a 
quantity  of  powder  on  dry  leaves,  filled  his  mouth  with  bullets,  and 
using  a  musket  which  w^as  a  self  primer,  he  was  enabled  to  load  with 
astonishing  quickness.  He  thus  fired  at  least  thirtyjtimes  before  they 
could  get  a  chance  to  dispatch  him.  At  last  Mr.  Moore  got  an 
opportunity  and  shot  him  through  the  head.  Moore  and  Painter  had 
many  disputes  which  gave  the  fellow  the  first  wound.  Painter,  at 
length  yielded,  and  Moore  got  the  premium  allowed  by  law  for  In- 
dian scalps.  * 

The  fugitive  who  made  his  escape,  unfortunately  met  with  a 
young  woman  on  horseback,  named  Seehon,  whom  he  tore  from 
her  horse,  and  forced  off  with  him.  This  occurred  near  the  present 
site  of  Newmarket,  in  the  County  of  Shenandoah.  After  traveling 
about  twenty  miles,  chiefl}^  in  the  night,  and  getting  nearly  opposite 
Keisletown,  in  the  County  of  Rockingham,  it  is  supposed  the  poor 
girl  broke  down  from  fatigue,  and  the  savage  monster  beat  her  to 
death  with  a  heavy  pine  knot.    Her  screams  were  heard  by  some 


Mr.  George  Painter  commuHicated  this  adventure  to  the  author. 


I04         INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 


people  that  lived  upwards  of  a  mile  from  the  scene  of  horror,  and 
who  next  day  on  going  to  the  place  to  ascertain  the  cause,  found  her 
stripped  naked,  and  weltering  in  her  blood.  * 

At  the  attack  on  George  Miller's  family,  the  persons  killed  were 
a  short  distance  from  the  house,  spreading  flax  in  a  meadow.  One 
of  Miller's  little  daughters  was  sick  in  bed.  Hearing  the  firing,  she 
jumped  up,  and  looking  through  a  window  and  seeing  what  was 
done,  immediately  passed  out  at  a  back  window,  and  ran  about  two 
or  three  miles,  down  to  the  present  residence  of  David  Stickley, 
Esq.,  and  from  thence  to  Geo.  Bowman's,  on  Cedar  Creek,  giving 
notice  at  each  place.  Col.  Abraham  Bowman,  of  Kentuck}^  then  a 
lad  of  sixteen  or  seventeen,  had  but  a  few  minutes  before  passed  close 
by  Miller's  door,  and  at  first  doubted  the  little  girl's  statement.  He, 
however,  armed  himself,  mounted  his  horse,  and  in  riding  to  the 
scene  of  action,  was  joined  by  several  others  who  had  turned  out  for 
the  same  purpose,  and  soon  found  the  information  of  the  little  girl 
too  fatally  true. 

The  late  Mr.  Thomas  Newell,  of  Shenandoah  county,  informed 
the  author  that  he  was  then  a  young  man.  His  father's  residence 
was  about  one  mile  from  Miller's  house,  and  hearing  the  firing  he 
instantly  took  his  rifle,  and  ran  to  see  what  it  meant.  When  he 
arrived  at  the  spot,  he  found  Miller,  his  wife,  and  tv^o  children, 
weltering  in  their  blood,  and  still  bleeding.  He  was  the  first  person 
who  arrived  ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  Bowman  and  several  others 
joined  him.  From  the  scene  of  the  murder  they  went  to  the  house, 
and  on  the  sill  of  the  door  lay  a  large  folio  German  Bible,  on  which 
a  fresh  killed  cat  w^as  thrown.  On  taking  up  the  Bible  it  was  dis- 
covered that  fire  had  been  placed  in  it ;  but  after  burning  through  a 
few  leaves,  the  weight  of  that  part  of  the  book  which  lay  upper- 
most, together  with  the  weight  of  the  cat,  had  so  compressed  the 
leaves  as  to  smother  and  extinguish  the  fire,  f 

In  the  year  1768,  Capt.  William  White,  a  brave  and  active  In- 
dian fighter,  made  a  visit  to  Col.  William  Crawford,  who  had  re- 
moved and  settled  at  the  Meadows,  in  the  Alleghany  Mountains. 
White  lived  on  Cedar  Creek,  and  Crawford  had  lived  on  Bull-skin. 
They  had  been  out  together  on  Indian  expeditions  ;  of  course  were 
well  acquainted.  Crawford  had  an  Irish  servant,  a  pretty  stout  and 
active  man,  who  was  permitted  to  accompany  White  on  an  hunting 
excurion.  They  had  not  been  out  long  when  they  discovered  two 
Indians  in  the  glades.    The  latter,  the  moment  they  discovered 


*Mrs.  Brenaman,  an  aged  and  respectable  old  lady  near  Pennybacker's 
iron  works,  gave  the  author  this  information. 

fThis  Bible  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  George  Miller  of  Shenan- 
doah county,  about  one-half  a  mile  south  of  Zane's  old  iron  works.  The  au- 
thor saw  and  examined  it.  The  fire  had  been  placed  about  the  center  of  the 
Second  Book  of  Samuel,  burnt  through  fourteen  leaves,  and  entirely  out  at 
one  end.  It  is  preserved  in  the  Miller  family,  as  a  sacred  relic  or  memento 
of  the  sacrifice  of  their  ancestors. 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES.  105 


the  two  white  men,  flew  behind  trees,  and  prepared  for  battle. 
White  and  his  Irishman,  however,  soon  out-generaled  them,  and 
killed  them  both.  They  were  soon  after  apprehended,  and  commit- 
ted to  Winchester  jail  on  a  charge  of  murder.  But  White  had  ren- 
dered his  neighbors  too  many  important  services,  and  was  too  popu- 
lar, to  be  permitted  to  languish  loaded  with  irons  in  a  dungeon  for 
killing  Indians.  Although  the  Indian  hostilities  had  entirely 
ceased,  too  many  individuals  were  smarting  under  a  recollection  of 
the  outrages  they  had  but  recently  experienced  at  the  hands  of 
their  merciless,  savage  and  implacable  foe.  Soon  after  White  and  his 
partner  in  the  charge  were  committed  to  jail.  Capt.  Abraham  Fry, 
raised  a  party  of  fifty-five  or  sixty  volunteers,  well-armed  and 
mounted,  to  affect  their  rescue.  They  dismounted  near  the  present 
site  of  Mr.  Isaac  Hollingsworth's  dwelling-house,  where  they  had 
left  their  horses  under  a  guard  of  a  few  men,  and  marched  into 
Winchester  about  daybreak  next  morning.  They  repaired  directly 
to  the  jail  door,  knocked  up  the  jailor,  and  demanded  the  keys. 
The  jailer  hesitated,  and  attempted  to  remonstrate.  Fry  presented 
his  rifle,  cocked  it,  and  peremptorily  demanded  the  keys,  telling  the 
jailer  he  w^ould  be  a  dead  man  in  one  minute  if  he  did  not  deliver 
them.  The  jailer  quailed  under  the  fiery  countenance  and  stern 
menaces  of  Fry,  and  complied.  Fry  placed  a  guard  at  the  door, 
went  in,  knocked  off  their  irons,  and  took  the  prisoners  out.  The 
late  Robert  Rutherford  attempted  to  harangue  the  mob  upon  the 
impropriety  and  danger  of  their  proceedings  ;  but  he  might  as  well 
have  addressed  himself  to  so  many  lions  and  tigers.  As  Fry's 
party  marched  into  town,  it  created  considerable  alarm  and  excite- 
ment. The  women,  half  dressed,  were  seen  running  from  house  to 
house  and  calling  out,  "  Well  done,  brave  fellows,  good  luck  to  you 
brave  boys."  This  cheering  of  Fry's  party  at  once  convinced  them 
the  public  sympathy  and  good  feeling  were  on  their  side.  The 
prisoners  were  taken  off  and  set  at  liberty.  Capt.  White  after- 
wards distinguished  himself  at  the  bloody  battle  of  the  Point,  under 
Col.  Servier. 

The  author  had  heard  something  of  this  story  more  than  forty 
years  ago.  The  late  Capt.  James  Wilson,  of  the  neighborhood  of 
Stephensburg,  had  stated  some  of  the  particulars,  but  not  suffi- 
cientl}^  connected  to  give  to  the  w^orld.  The  author  was  there- 
fore apprehensive  that  he  w^ould  not  be  able,  at  this  late  period,  to 
collect  the  facts.  Whilst  engaged  in  obtaining  materials  for  this 
work,  he  called  on  the  late  Thomas  Newell,  of  Shenandoah  count}', 
and  among  other  things  inquired  of  him  whether  he  had  any  know- 
ledge or  recollection  of  the  affair.  This  venerable  man,  then  ninety- 
three  years  of  age,  in  his  second  childhood,  and  his  recollection  of 
recent  events  entirely  gone,  the  moment  the  inquiry  w^as  made,  with 
much  animation  and  a  cheerful  countenance,  replied,  Yes,  my 
friend,  I  reckon  I  can  tell  you,  when  I  was  one  of  the  very  boys." 
The  author  then  asked  the  old  gentlemen  whether  he  would  have 

14 


io6         INDIAN  INCURvSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 


any  objection  to  his  name  being  given  as  authority,  and  as  one 
of  Fry's  part}^  He  replied  with  equal  animation  and  emphasis, 
"  No,  my  friend,  I  always  gloried  in  what  I  did."  Moses  Russell, 
Esq.,  inform.ed  the  author  that  his  two  elder  brothers  were  of  Fry's 
party,  and  that  if  he  had  been  old  enough,  he  would,  doubtless, 
have  been  among  them.  But  he  had  more  than  once  heard  one  of 
his  brother's  speak  of  this  occurrence  vvith  great  regret,  and 
lament  the  part  he  had  taken  in  it.  General  Smith  recollects  hear- 
ing much  said  on  this  subject  soon  after  he  came  to  Winchester  to 
live.  To  say  the  least  of  it,  it  was  a  dangerous  precedent  in  a 
civilized  society.  There  is  another  individual,  now  living  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  author's  residence,  w^ho  vras  of  Fry's  party, 
and  is  now  about  eighty  years  of  age,  who  was  an  active  and 
useful  character  in  the  war  of  the  revolution,  and  from  him  the 
author  obtained  many  particulars  of  this  occurrence,  but  as  he 
never  formally  authorized  the  use  of  his  name  publicl}^  it  is  with- 
held. It  was  from  the  information  of  this  individul  that  the  au- 
thor was  enabled  to  find  the  year  when  this  important  occurrence 
took  place. 

After  the  most  diligent  inquiry,  the  author  could  not  ascertain 
whether  the  murder  of  these  two  Indians  was  followed  by  any  acts 
of  retaliation  on  the  part  of  the  Indians. 

The  same  year  (1768)  a  worthless  character  by  the  name  of 
John  Price  committed  a  most  w^anton  and  unprovoked  murder  on 
the  body  of  a  popular  young  Indian  chief.  Price  had  resided  sever- 
al years  in  the  Hawksbill  settlement.  He  w^ent  out  to  the  Indian 
country  under  the  character  of  an  Indian  trader,  and  soon  formed 
an  acquaintance  with  this  young  war  chief.  Price  was  an  expert 
marksman  and  experienced  hunter,  and  soon  acquired  the  confi- 
dence and  attachment  of  the  young  warrior.  They  frequently 
took  hunting  excursions  ;  in  the  last  of  which,  having  wandered 
a  considerable  distance  from  the  Indian  habitations,  Price  shot 
the  young  man  dead,  robbed  him  of  his  rifle,  a  few  silver  orna- 
ments and  hunting  dress,  and  left  him  lying  in  the  wilderness  ;  then 
pushed  home,  boasting  of  what  he  had  done,  and  shov/ed  his  ill- 
gotten  booty. 

A  few  days  after  Price's  return  home,  Lewis  Bingaman,  who 
was  taken  prisoner  when  a  boy,  and  who  grew  up  and  became  a  dis- 
tinguished man,  (which  has  been  heretofore  noticed),  came  in  at 
the  head  of  thirty  warriors  in  pursuit  of  Price.  He  made  himself 
known  to  Frederick  Offenberger,  and  told  what  Price  had  done  ; 
said  that  he  would  go  to  Price,  and  propose  to  take  a  hunt  ; 
that  his  warriors  were  concealed  in  the  Massinutten  Mountain  ; 
and  if  he  succeeded  in  decoying  Price  into  their  hands,  they 
would  be  perfectly  satisfied,  and  do  no  injury  to  any  other  person  ; 
but  if  they  did  not  succeed  in  getting  Price,  they  would  revenge 
the  death  of  their  young  chief  upon  the  first  white  person  they 
could  find,  and  the  lives  of  many  innocent  women  and  children 


INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES.  107 


would  be  sacrificed  to  appease  their  vengeance.  Oltenberger  kept 
Bingaman's  communication  to  himself,  believing  that  Price  de- 
sen^ed  punishment.  He  was  accordingly  decoyed  into  the  hands 
of  thirty  warriors,  and  never  heard  from  afterwards  ;  of  course 
he  expiated  his  base  and  treacherous  murder  of  the  young  Indian, 
b)^  the  most  lingering  and  painful  death  which  savage  instinct  could 
devise. 

Tradition  relates  a  stor}^  of  Mr.  Hogeland,  who  on  a  certain 
occasion  killed  an  Indian  in  the  following  manner.  Hogeland  went 
out  in  the  evening  from  Furman's  Fort,  in  pursuit  of  the  milch  cows. 
He  heard  the  bell  in  a  deep  glen,  and  from  its  peculiar  sound,  sus- 
pected some  strategem.  Instead  of  pursuing  the  hollow  therefore, 
he  took  up  a  high  ridge,  and  passed  the  spot  where  the  bell  was 
ringing  ;  then  cautiously  descending  the  hollow,  he  discovered  an 
Indian  with  the  bell  (which  he  had  taken  from  the  cow),  suspended 
to  a  small  sapling,  which  he  shook  gently  to  keep  the  bell  in 
motion.  Whilst  the  savage  was  thus  engaged  with  a  view  to  decoy 
the  owner  within  tne  reach  of  his  rifle,  Hogeland  took  deliberate 
aim  at  him,  and  shot  him  through  the  body  ;  upon  which  another 
Indian  started  up,  ran,  and  got  off.  Thus  this  wily  savage  fell  into 
the  snare  he  believed  he  had  adroitly  prepared  for  killing  the  owner 
of  the  cattle.  * 

The  author  has  heard  another  version  of  this  story.  It  is  said 
there  Avas  a  young  man  with  Hogeland  ;  and  when  the  Indian 
was  seen  with  the  bell,  Hogeland  at  the  same  instant  discovered 
the  other  Indian  standing  at  a  tree,  with  his  gun  raised  ready  to  fire 
at  whoever  should  come  for  the  cows.  Hogeland  pointed  him  out  to 
the  young  man,  and  observ^ed,  *'Now  take  deliberate  aim,  whilst 
I  take  the  fellow  with  the  bell. ' '  They  both  fired  and  both  Indians 
fell  dead."  f 

Thus  ends  the  author's  narrative  of  the  many  important  oc- 
currences and  great  events  from  the  commencement  of  Indian  hostili- 
ties, in  the  year  1754,  until  their  final  termination  in  1766,  a  period 
of  twelve  years. 

From  the  termination  of  hostilities  in  1766,  until  the  com- 
mencement of  Dunmore's  war  in  1774,  the  people  of  the  Valley 
enjoyed  uninterrupted  peace  and  tranquilit}' ,  and  the  country  set- 
tled and  increased  with  great  rapidity.  Several  families  of  distinc- 
tion removed  from  the  lower  country  and  settled  in  the  Valley. 
The  ancestors  of  the  Washingtons,  Willeses,  Throckmortons  and 
Whitings,  severally  settled  in  the  neighborhood  of  Ivong  Marsh  and 
Bull-skin. 

The  author  did  not  find  it  convenient  to  obtain  the  several 
treaties  made  with  the  Indian  tribes  during  the  period  from  the 


*  Samuel  Kercheval,  Jr.,  of  Romney,  related  this  tradition  to  the 
author. 

f  WilUam  Naylor,  Esq.,  gave  the  author  this  version  of  the  story. 


io8         INDIAN  INCURSIONS  AND  MASSACRES. 


commencement  of  Braddock's  war  until  the  final  termination 
of  hostilities.  Nor  does  he  consider  it  to  be  very  material,  as 
those  treaties  were  no  sooner  made  than  broken.  Should  this 
be  deemed  a  material  defect,  he  will  endeavor  to  supply  it  in  an- 
other edition. 

The  commencement  and  termination  of  Dunmore's  war  will 
form  the  subject  of  the  next  chapter. 


DUNMORK'S  WAR  WITH  THE  INDIANS.  109 


CHAPTER  X. 
DUNMORE'S  WAR  WITH  THE  INDIANS. 

In  the  year  1773,  the  Indians  killed  two  white  men  on  the 
Hockhocking  River,  to- wit,  John  Martin  and  Guy  Meek,  (Indian 
traders) ,  and  robbed  them  of  about  ^200  worth  of  goods.  About 
the  ist  of  May,  1774,  they  killed  two  men  in  a  canoe  on  the  Ohio 
River,  and  robbed  the  canoe  of  its  contents.  *  There  were  other 
similar  occurrences,  which  left  no  doubt  upon  the  minds  of  the  west- 
ern people,  that  the  savages  had  determined  to  make  war  upon  them; 
and  of  course  acts  of  retaliation  were  resorted  to  on  the  part  of  the 
whites. 

The  late  Col.  Angus  McDonald,  near  Winchester,  and  several 
other  individuals,  went  out  in  the  spring  1774,  to  survx}^  the  mili- 
tary bounty  lands,  lying  on  the  Ohio  and  Kanawha  Rivers, 
allowed  by  the  King's  proclamation  to  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the 
army,  for  their  services  in  a  preceding  war  with  the  Indians,  but 
were  driven  off. 

Col.  McDonald  forthwith  waited  on  Gov.  Dunmore  in  person, 
and  gave  him  an  account  of  the  hostile  disposition  of  the  Indians. 
The  governor  authorized  him  to  raise  a  regiment  of  four  hundred 
men,  and  immediately  proceed  to  punish  the  enemy.  He  soon  suc- 
ceeded in  raising  his  little  army  ;  in  the  month  of  June  marched  into 
the  Indian  country,  destroyed  several  of  their  villages,  cut  off  their 
corn,  and  returned.  He  had  two  or  three  running  fights  with  the 
Indians,  but  there  was  little  blood  shed  on  either  side. 

This  act  of  war  produced  a  general  combination  of  the  various 
nations  northwest  of  the  Ohio  ;  and  hence  arose  the  necessity  of 
speedily  raising  a  powerful  army  to  save  the  western  people  from 
being  entirely  cut  off,  or  driven  from  their  habitation. 

Lord  Dunmore  issued  his  order  to  Col.  A.  Lewis,  of  Augusta 
county,  to  raise  a  body  of  one  thousand  men,  and  immediately  pro- 
ceed to  the  Ohio  River,  where  he,  (Dunmore)  would  join  him  with 
an  equal  number,  to  be  raised  in  the  northern  counties  of  Virginia. 
Dunmore  very  soon  raised  the  requisite  number  of  men,  principally 
volunteers  from  the  counties  of  Berkeley,  Hampshire,  Frederick  and 
Shenandoah,  f  Capt.  Daniel  Cresap  w^ent  to  South  Carolina,  and 
brought  in  one  hundred  and  twenty  Catawba  Indian  warriors  at  his 


*Mr.  Jacob's  Life  of  Cresap. 
f  General  John  Smith. 


I  lO 


DUNMORE'S  WAR  WITH  THE  INDIANS. 


own  expense  and  responsibility,  which  he  intended  employing  against 
the  western  enemy.  He  soon  after  marched  at  the  head  of  this  band 
of  warriors,  with  the  addition  of  sixteen  white  volunteers,  with  the 
design  of  breaking  up  and  destroying  the  Moravian  Indian  towns  on 
Cheat  River.  These  people  professed  Christianity  and  neutralitj^  in 
the  Avar  then  going  on  between  the  red  and  white  people.  But  they 
w^ere  charged  by  the  white  people  with  secretly  aiding  and  abetting 
the  hostile  Indians  ;  hence  Cresap's  determination  to  break  up  their 
settlement  and  drive  them  off.  In  crossing  the  Alleghany  Moun- 
tains seven  Indians  under  the  guise  of  friendship,  fell  in  with  Cresap's 
party  and  in  the  most  treacherous  manner  contrived  to  kill  seven  of 
the  white  volunteers,  and  then  fled.  They  were  instantly  pursued 
by  the  Catawbas,  and  two  of  them  taken  prisoners  and  delivered  up 
to  Cresap,  who,  after  reproaching  them  v/ith  their  base  treachery, 
discharged  them.,  and  retreated  into  the  settlement  with  his  Indians 
and  remaining  white  volunteers.  The  Catawba  Indians  soon  after 
left  Cresap  and  returned  to  their  nation.  The  late  Generals,  Daniel 
Morgan  and  James  Wood,  were  captains  in  Dunmore's  campaign, 
each  of  whom  had  served  under  McDonald  as  captains  the  preceding 
spring.  * 

For  farther  particulars  of  this  war,  the  author  will  give  copious 
extracts  from  Mr.  Doddridge  * '  Notes  on  the  Wars  West  of  the 
Alleghany  Mountain,"  and  from  Mr.  Jacob's  "  Eife  of  Cresap." 
These  two  authors  have  detailed  the  causes  which  led  to  this  disas- 
trous and  destructive  war,  and  are  directly  at  issue  on  some  of  the 
most  important  particulars.  In  this  controversy  the  author  of  this 
work  will  not  partake  so  far  as  to  express  an  opinion  which  of  these 
two  divines  have  truth  on  their  side  ;  but  he  considers  it  is  his  duty, 
as  an  impartial  and  faithful  historian,  to  give  both  these  reverend 
gentlemen's  accounts,  at  full  length,  of  the  original  cause  and  con- 
sequences of  this  war. 

It  appears,  however  evident,  that  the  late  Capt.  Michael  Cres- 
ap has  had  injustice  done  to  his  character,  both  by  Mr.  Jefferson  and 
Mr.  Doddridge.  Mr.  Jefferson  in  his  Notes  on  Virginia,"  charges 
Cresap  with  being  * '  infamous  for  his  many  Indian  murders  and  mur- 
dering Eogan's  family  in  cold  blood."  Mr.  Doddridge  repeats  the 
charge  of  the  murder  of  Eogan's  family,  and  adds  the  further 
charge  "that  Cresap  was  the  cause  of  Dunmore's  war.  How  far 
these  charges  are  refuted  by  Mr.  Jacob,  an  impartial  world  will 
determine. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  Mr.  Jacob's  vindication  of  the  charac- 
ter of  his  friend  Cresap  cannot  have  a  circulation  co-extensive  with 
Mr.  Jefferson's  charges  against  him.  The  celebrity  of  Mr.  Jefferson's 
character,  together  with  the  beautiful  specimen  of  Indian  oratory  in 


*  Mr.  John  Tomlinson  related  the  particulars  of  these  occurrences  to  the 
author,  and  added  that  he  himself  was  one  of  Cresap's  party,  and  that  he  was 
then  a  youth  of  seventeen  or  eighteen  years  of  age. 


DODDRIDGE'S  ACCOUNT 


III 


the  Logan  speech,  has  probably  caused  his  work  to  be  circulated  and 
read  all  over  the  civilized  world. 

The  author  will  only  add  that  he  has  obtained  permission,  from 
the  proprietors  of  these  works,  to  use  them  as  he  deems  proper. 
The  Hon.  Philip  Doddridge,  shortly  before  his  death,  in  a 
letter  to  the  author  stated,  that  he  considered  there  would  be 
no  impropriety  in  appending  any  part  of  his  brother's  book  to 
this  publication  ;  and  Mr.  Jacob's,  in  the  most  liberal  and  unquali- 
fied terms,  permits  him  to  append  the  whole,  or  any  part  of  his 
''Life  of  Cresap." 

RKV.  MR.  DODDRIDGE'S  ACCOUNT  OF  DUNMORK'S  WAR. 

After  the  conclusion  of  the  Indian  Vv^ars,  by  the  treaty  made 
with  the  chiefs  by  Sir  V/illiam  Johnson  at  the  German  flats,  in  the 
latter  part  of  1764,  the  western  settlements  enjoyed  peace  until  the 
spring  of  1774. 

During  this  period  of  time,  the  settlements  increased  with  great 
rapidity  along  the  vv^hole  extent  of  the  western  frontier.  Even  the 
shores  of  the  Ohio,  on  the  Virginia  side,  had  a  considerable  popula- 
tion as  early  as  the  year  1774. 

Devoutly  might  humanity  wish  that  the  record  of  the  causes 
which  led  to  the  destructive  war  of  1774,  might  be  blotted  from  the 
annals  of  our  country.  But  it  is  now  too  late  to  efface  it  ;  the 
''black-lettered  list"  must  remain,  a  dishonorable  blot  in  our  na- 
tional history.  Good  however  may  spring  out  of  evil.  The  injuries 
inflicted  upon  the  Indians,  in  early  times  by  our  forefathers,  may 
induce  their  descendants  to  show  justice  and  mercy  to  the  dimin- 
ished posterity  of  those  children  of  the  wilderness,  whose  ancestors 
perished,  in  cold  blood,  under  the  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife  of 
the  white  savage. 

In  the  month  of  April,  1774,  a  rumor  was  circulated  that  the 
Indians  had  stolen  several  horses  from  some  land  jobbers  on  the  Ohio 
and  Kanawha  Rivers.  No  evidences  of  the  facts  having  been  ad- 
duced, led  to  the  conclusion  that  the  report  was  false.  This  report, 
however,  induced  a  pretty  general  belief  that  the  Indians  were  about 
to  make  war  upon  the  frontier  settlements,  but  for  this  apprehen- 
sion there  does  not  appear  to  have  been  the  slightest  foundation. 

In  consequence  of  this  apprehension  of  being  attacked  by  the 
Indians,  the  land  jobbers  ascended  the  River,  and  collected  in  Wheel- 
ing. On  the  27th  of  April,  it  was  reported  in  Wheeling  that  a  canoe 
containing  two  Indians  and  some  traders,  were  coming  down  the 
River,  and  then  not  far  from  the  place.  On  hearing  this,  the  com- 
mandant of  the  station,  Capt.  Cresap,  proposed  to  go  up  the  River 
and  kill  the  Indians.  This  project  was  vehemently  opposed  by  Col. 
Zane,  the  proprietor  of  the  place.  He  stated  to  the  captain  that  the 
killing  of  those  Indians  would  inevitably  bring  on  a  war,  in  which 


112 


OF  DUNMORE'S  WAR. 


much  innocent  blood  would  be  shed,  and  that  the  act  in  itself  would 
be  an  atrocious  murder,  and  a  disgrace  to  his  name  forever.  His 
good  counsel  was  lot.  The  party  went  up  the  river.  On  being  asked, 
at  their  return,  what  had  become  of  the  Indians?  they  coolly  ans- 
wered, that  "  they  had  fallen  overboard  into  the  River!"  Their 
canoe,  on  being  examined,  was  found  bloody,  and  pierced  with  bul- 
lets. This  was  the  first  blood  which  was  shed  in  this  war,  and  terri- 
ble was  the  vengeance  w^hich  followed. 

In  the  evening  of  the  same  day,  the  party,  hearing  that 
there  was  an  encampment  of  Indians  at  the  mouth  of  the  Captina, 
went  down  the  river  to  the  place,  attacked  the  Indians  and  killed 
several  of  them.  In  this  affair  only  one  of  Cresap's  party  was  se- 
verally wounded. 

The  massacre  at  Captina,  and  that  which  took  place  at  Baker's, 
about  forty  miles  above  Wheeling,  after  that  at  Captina,  was  un- 
questionably the  sole  cause  of  the  war  of  1774.  The  last  was  perpe- 
trated by  thirty-two  men,  under  the  command  of  Daniel  Great- 
house.  The  whole  number  killed  at  this  place,  and  on  the  River 
opposite  to  it,  was  twelve,  besides  several  wounded.  This  hor- 
rid massacre  was  effected  by  an  hypocritical  stratagem,  which 
reflects  the  deepest  dishonor  on  the  memory  of  those  who  v;ere 
agents  to  it. 

The  report  of  the  murders  committed  on  the  Indians  near 
Wheeling,  induced  a  belief  that  they  would  immediately  commence 
hostilities  ;  and  this  apprehension  furnished  the  pretext  for  the  mur- 
der above  related.  The  ostensible  object  for  raising  the  party  under 
Greathouse,  was  that  of  defending  the  family  of  Baker,  whose  house 
was  opposite  to  a  large  encampment  of  Indians,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Big  Yellow  Creek.  The  party  were  concealed  in  ambuscade,  while 
their  commander  went  over  the  River,  under  the  mask  of  friendship, 
to  the  Indian  camp,  to  ascertain  their  number.  While  there  an  In- 
dian woman  advised  him  to  return  home  speedily,  saying  that  the 
Indians  were  drinking  and  angry  on  account  of  the  murder  of  their 
people  dowm  the  River,  and  might  do  him  some  mischief.  On  his 
return  to  the  part}^  he  reported  that  the  Indians  were  too  strong  for 
an  open  attack.  He  returned  to  Baker's,  and  requested  him  to  give 
any  Indians  who  might  come  over,  in  the  course  of  the  day,  as  much 
rum  as  they  might  call  for,  and  get  as  many  of  them  drunk  as  he 
possibly  could.  The  plan  succeeded.  Several  Indian  men  and 
women  came  over  the  River  to  Baker's,  who  had  previously  been  in 
the  habit  of  selling  rum  to  the  Indians.  The  men  drank  freely,  and 
became  intoxicated.  In  this  state  they  were  all  killed  by  Greathouse 
and  a  few  of  his  party.  I  saw  a  few  of  his  party  ;  for  it  is  but  jus- 
tice to  state,  that  not  more  than  five  or  six  of  the  whole  number  had 
any  participation  in  the  slaughter  at  the  house.  The  rest  pro- 
tested against  it  as  an  atrocious  murder.  From  their  number, 
being  by  far  the  majority,  they  might  have  prevented  the  deed  ;  but 
alas  !  they  did  not.    A  little  Indian  girl  alone  saved  from  the 


DODDRIDGE'S  ACCOUNT 


113 


slaughter,  by  the  humanity  of  some  of  the  party,  whose  name  is  not 
now  known. 

The  Indians  in  the  camp,  hearing  the  firing  at  the  house,  sent  a 
canoe  with  two  men  in  it  to  inquire  what  had  happened.  These 
two  Indians  were  both  shot  down  as  soon  as  the}^  landed  on  the  beach. 
A  second  and  larger  canoe  was  then  manned  with  a  number  of  In- 
dians in  arms  ;  but  in  attem.pting  to  reach  the  shore,  some  distance 
below  the  house,  they  vv-ere  received  by  a  well  directed  fire  from  the 
party,  which  killed  the  greater  number  of  them,  and  compelled  the 
survivors  to  return.  A  great  number  of  shots  were  exchanged  across 
the  River  but  without  damage  to  the  white  party,  and  none  of 
whom  were  even  wounded.  The  Indian  men  who  were  murdered 
were  all  scalped. 

The  woman  who  gave  the  friendty  advice  to  the  commander  of 
the  party  when  in  the  Indian  camp  was  amongst  the  slain  at  Baker's 
house. 

The  massacres  of  the  Indians  at  Capitna  and  Yellow  Creek, 
comprehended  the  whole  of  the  family  of  the  famous  but  unfortun- 
ate Logan,  who  before  these  events  had  been  a  lover  of  the  whites, 
a  strenuous  advocate  for  peace  ;  ^ut  in  the  conflict  which  followed 
them,  by  way  of  revenge  for  the  death  of  his  people,  he  became  a 
brave  and  sanguinary  chief  among  the  warriors. 

The  settlers  along  the  frontiers,  knowing  that  the  Indians  would 
make  war  upon  them  for  the  m.urder  of  their  people,  either  moved 
off  to  the  interior,  or  took  up  their  residences  in  Forts.  The  appre- 
hension of  war  was  soon  realized.  In  a  short  time  the  Indians  com- 
menced hostilities  along  the  whole  extent  of  our  frontier. 

Express  was  speedil}^  sent  to  Williamsburg,  the  then  seat  of 
government  of  the  colony  of  Virginia,  communicating  intelligence  of 
the  certainty  of  the  commencement  of  an  Indian  war.  The  assem- 
bly was  then  in  session. 

A  plan  for  a  campaign,  for  the  purpose  of  putting  a  speedy  con- 
clusion to  the  Indian  hostilities,  was  adopted  between  the  Earl  of 
Dunmore,  governor  of  the  colony,  and  Gen.  Lewis,  of  Botetourt 
county.  General  Lewis  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  south- 
ern division  of  the  forces  to  be  employed  on  this  occasion,  with  or- 
ders to  raise  a  large  body  of  volunteers,  and  drafts  from  the  south- 
eastern counties  of  the  colony  with  all  dispatch.  These  forces  were 
to  rendezvous  at  Camp  Union,  in  the  Greenbrier  country.  The 
Earl  of  Dunmore  was  to  raise  another  arni}^  in  the  northern  counties 
of  the  colony,  and  in  the  settlements  west  of  the  mountains,  and  as- 
semble them  at  Fort  Pitt,  and  from  thence  descend  the  River  to 
Point  Pleasant,  at  the  mouth  of  the  great  Kanawha,  the  place  ap- 
pointed for  the  junction  of  the  two  armies,  for  the  purpose  of  invading 
the  Indian  country  and  destroying  as  many  of  their  villages  as  they 
could  reach  in  the  course  of  the  season. 

On  the  I  ith  of  September,  the  forces  under  Gen.  Lewis,  amount- 
ing to  eleven  hundred  men,  commenced  their  march  from  Camp 

15 


114 


OF  DUNMORE'S  WAR. 

4 


Union  to  Poijit  Pleasant,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles. 
The  space  of  country  between  these  two  points  was  at  that  time  a 
trackless  desert.  Captain  Matthew  Arbuckle,  the  pilot,  conducted 
the  arm}''  b}^  the  nearest  and  best  route  to  their  place  of  destination. 
The  flour  and  ammunition  where  wholy  transported  on  pack  horses, 
as  the  route  was  impassable  for  wheel  carriages.  After  a  painful 
march  of  nineteen  days,  the  army  arrived,  on  the  ist  of  October,  at 
Point  Pleasant,  *  where  an  encampent  was  made. 

Gen.  Lewis  was  exceedingly  disappointed  at  hearing  no  tidings 
of  the  Earl  of  Dunmore,  who  according  to  previous  arrangements, 
was  to  form  a  junction  with  him  at  this  place.  He  immediately  dis- 
patched some  scouts,  to  go  by  land  in  the  direction  of  Fort  Pitt, 
to  obtain  intelligence  of  the  route  which  the  Earl  had  taken,  and 
theli  return  with  the  utmost  dispatch.  On  the  9th,  three  men,  who 
had  formerly  been  Indian  traders,  arrived  in  the  camp,  on  express 
from  the  Earl,  to  inform  Lewis  that  he  had  changed  his  plan  of 
operations,  and  intended  to  march  to  the  Indian  towns  by  the  way 
of  Hockhocking,  and  directing  Gen.  Lewis  to  commence  his  march 
immediately  for  the  old  Chillicothe  towns. 

Very  early  in  the  morning  of  the  loth,  two  young  men  set  out 
from  the  camp  to  hunt  up  the  River.    Having  gone  about  three 


*0f  the  battle  of  the  Point,  the  author  has  obtained  some  further  parti- 
«  '  culars,  which  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  the  reader.  He  saw  and  con- 
versed with  three  individuals  who  participated  in  that  desperate  struggle, 
viz  :  Joseph  Mays,  Andrew  Reed  and  James  Ellison.  The  two  first  named 
informed  the  author  that  Col.  Lewis  ordered  out  a  body  of  three  hundred 
men  to  meet  and  disperse  the  Indians  as  they  were  approaching  his  encamp- 
ment. The  detachment  was  overpowered  by  the  numerical  force  of  the  In- 
dians, not  less  than  a  thousand  strong  ;  the  v»^hites,  contending,  however,  for 
every  inch  of  ground  in  their  retreat.  They  were  driven  back  several  hun- 
dred yards,  vv'hen  Col.  Lewis  ordered  a  second  detachment  of  three  hundred 
men,  who  rushed  forward  with  impetuosit}'  to  the  relief  of  the  first,  which 
movement  at  once  checked  the  savages,  and  partially  changed  the  aspect  of 
the  fight.  Col.  Chas.  Lewis,  who  had  arrayed  himself  in  a  gorgeous  scarlet 
waistcoat,  against  the  advice  of  his  friends,  thus  rendering  himself  a  con- 
spicuous mark  for  the  Indians,  was  mortally  wounded  early  in  the  action  ; 
yet  was  able  to  walk  back  after  receiving  the  wound,  into  his  own  tent, 
where  he  expired.  He  was  met  on  his  way  by  the  commander-in-chief,  his 
brother.  Col.  Andrew  Lewis,  who  remarked  to  him,  "  I  expected  something 
fatal  would  befall  3^ou,"  to  which  the  wounded  officer  calmly  replied,  "It 
is  the  fate  of  war."  About  two  o'clock.  Col.  Christie  arrived  in  the  field  at 
the  head  of  five  hundred  men — the|battle  still  raging — a  reinforcement  which 
decided  the  issue  almost  immediately.  The  Indians  fell  back  about  two 
miles,  obstinately  fighting  the  whole  distance  ;  and  such  was  the  persever- 
ing spirit  of  the  savages,  though  they  were  fairly  beaten,  that  the  contest 
was  not  entirely  closed  till  the  setting  of  the  sun,  when  they  relinquished 
the  field.  Shortly  after  the  battle,  several  traders  with  the  Indians,  regard- 
ed as  nutural  in  war,  called  at  the  Point,  and  informed  Captain  Arbuckle, 
commandant  of  the  station,  that  there  were  not  less  than  twelve  hundred 
Indians  in  this  memorable  action.  Constalk,  confident  of  success,  had  placed 
a  body  of  some  two  hundred  Indians  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Kanawha, 
to  cut  oif  the  retreat  of  the  whites  ;  and  that  the  loss  of  the  Indians  in  killed 
and  wounded  was  not  short  of  three  hundred  men. 


DODDRIDGE'S  ACCOUNT 


miles,  the)''  fell  upon  a  camp  of  the  Indians,  who  were  then  in  the 
act  of  preparing  to  march  to  attack  the  Camp  of  Gen.  Lewis.  The 
Indians  lired  on  them  and  killed  one  of  them  ;  the  other  ran  back  to 
the  camp  with  the  intelligence  that  the  Indians,  in  great  force  would 
immediately  give  battle. 

Gen.  Lewis  immediately  ordered  out  a  detachment  of  the  Bote- 
tourt troops  under  Col.  Fleming,  and  another  of  the  Augusta  troops 
under  Col.  Charles  Lewis,  remaining  himself  with  the  reserve  for 
the  defence  of  the  camp.  The  detachment  marched  out  in  two  lines, 
and  met  the  Indians  in  the  same  order  about  four  hundred  yards 
from  the  camp.  The  battle  commenced  a  little  after  sunrise,  by  a 
heavy  firing  from  the  Indians.  At  the  onset  our  troops  gave  back 
some  distance,  until  met  by  reinforcement,  on  the  arrival  of  which 
the  Indians  retreated  a  little  way  and  formed  a  line  behind  logs  ^nd 
trees,  reaching  from  the  bank  of  the  Ohio  to  that  of  the  Kanawha. 
By  this  manceuver,  our  army  and  camp  w^ere  completely  invested, 
being  enclosed  between  two  Rivers,  with  the  Indian  line  of  battle 
in  front,  so  that  no  chance  of  retreat  was  left.  An  incessant  fire 
was  kept  up  on  both  sides,  with  but  little  change  of  position  until 
sundown,  when  the  Indians  retreated,  and  in  the  night  recrossedthe 
Ohio,  and  the  next  day  commenced  their  n\arch  to  their  towns  on 
the  Scioto. 

Our  loss  in  this  destructive  battle  was  seventj^-five  killed,  and 
one  hundred  and  forty  wounded.  Among  the  killed  were  Col.  Chas. 
Lewis,  Col.  Fields,  Captains  Buford,  Murray,  Ward,  Wilson  and 
McClenachan  ;  Lieutenants  Allen,  Goldsb}'  and  Dillion,  and  several 
subaltern  officers. 

Col.  Lewis,  a  distinguished  and  meritorious  officer,  was  mortal- 
ly wounded  by  the  first  fire  of  the  Indians,  but  walked  into  the  camp 
and  expired  into  his  own  tent.  / 

The  number  of  Indians  engaged  in  the  battle  of  the  Point  was 
never  ascertained,  nor  yet  the  amount  of  their  loss.  On  the  morn- 
ing after  the  engagement,  twenty-one  were  found  on  the  battle-ground, 
and  twelve  more  were  afterwards  found  in  the  different  places  where 
they  had  been  concealed.  A  great  number  of  their  dead  were  said 
to  have  been  thrown  into  the  River  during  the  engagement.  Con- 
sidering that  the  whole  number  of  our  men  engaged  in  the  conflict 
were  riflemen,  and  from  habit  sharp  shooters  of  the  first  order,  it  is 
presumable  that  the  loss  on  the  side  of  the  Indians  was  at  least  equal 
to  ours. 

The  Indians  during  the  battle  w^ere  commanded  by  the  Corn- 
stalk warrior,  the  King  of  the  Shawnees.  This  son  of  the  forest,  in 
his  plans  of  attack  and  retreat,  and  all  the  manoeuvers  throughout 
the  engagement,  displayed  the  skill  and  bravery  of  the  consummate 
general.  During  the  whole  of  the  day,  he  was  heard  from  our  lines, 
vociferating,  with  the  voice  of  a  Stentor,  * '  Be  strong  !  be  strong  ! ' ' 
It  is  even  said  that  he  killed  one  of  his  men  with  his  own  hand  for 
cowardice. 


ii6 


OF  DUNMORE'S  WAR. 


The  day  following  the  battle,  after  burying  the  dead,  entrench- 
ments were  thrown  up  around  the  camp,  and  a  competent  guard  were 
appointed  for  the  care  and  protection  of  the  sick  and  v^ounded.  On 
the  succeeding  day  Gen.  Lewis  commenced  his  march  for  the  Shaw- 
nee towns  on  the  Scioto.  This  march  was  made  through  a  track- 
less desert,  and  attended  with  almost  insuperable  difficulties  and 
privations. 

In  the  meantime  the  Earl  of  Dunmore,  having  collected  a  force 
and  provided  boats  at  Fort  Pitt,  descended  the  River  to  Wheeling, 
where  the  army  halted  for  a  few  days,  and  then  proceeded  down  the 
River  in  about  one  hundred  canoes,  a  few  keel  boats  and  perouges, 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Hockhocking,  and  from  thence  overland  until 
the  arm}'-  had  got  within  eight  miles  of  the  Shawnee  town  Chilli- 
coth'e  on  the  Scioto  River.  Here  the  army  halted,  and  made  a 
breastwork  of  fallen  trees  and  entrenchments  of  such  extent  as  to 
include  about  twelve  acres  of  ground,  with  an  enclosure  in  the  cen- 
ter containing  about  one  acre,  surrounded  by  entrenchmets.  This 
w^as  the  citidal  which  contained  the  markees  of  the  Earl  and  his  su- 
perior officers. 

Before  the  army  had  reached  that  place,  the  Indian  chiefs  had 
sent  several  messengers  to  the  Earl  asking  peace.  With  this  re- 
quest he  soon  determined  to  comply,  and  therefore  sent  an  express 
to  Gen.  Eewis  with  an  order  for  his  immediate  retreat.  This  order 
Gen.  Eewis  disregarded,  and  continued  his  march  until  his  lordship 
in  person  visited  his  camp,  was  formally  introduced  to  his  officers, 
and  gave  the  order  in  person.  The  army  of  Gen.  Eewis  then  com- 
menced their  retreat. 

It  was  with  the  greatest  reluctance  and  chagrin  that  the  troops 
of  Gen.  Eewis  returned  from  the  enterprise  in  which  they  were  en- 
gaged. The  massacres  of  their  relatives  and  friends  at  the  Big 
Levels  and  Muddy  Creek,  and  above  all  their  recent  loss  at  the  bat- 
tle of  the  Point,  had  inspired  these  "  Big-knives,"  as  the  Indians 
called  the  Virginians,  with  an  inveterate  thirst  for  revenge,  the 
gratification  of  which  they  supposed  w^as  shortly  to  take  place,  in 
the  total  destruction  of  the  Indians  and  their  towns  along  the  Scioto 
and  Sandusk}^  Rivers.  The  order  of  Dunmore  was  obeyed,  but  with 
every  expression  of  regret  and  disappointment. 

The  Earl  with  his  officers  having  returned  to  the  camp,  a  treaty 
with  the  Indians  were  opened  the  following  day. 

In  this  treaty,  every  precaution  was  used  on  the  part  of  our  peo- 
ple to  prevent  the  Indians  from  ending  a  treaty  in  the  tragedy  of  a 
massacre.  Only  eighteen  Indians,  with  their  chiefs,  were  permitted 
to  pass  the  outer  gate  of  their  fortified  encampment,  after  having  de- 
posited their  arms  with  the  guard  at  the  gate. 

The  treaty  was  opened  by  Cornstalk,  the  war  chief  of  the  Shaw- 
nees,  in  a  lengthy  speech,  in  which  he  boldly  charged  the  white  peo- 
ple with  having  been  the  authors  of  the  commencement  of  the  war, 
in  the  massacres  of  the  Indians  at  Captina  and  Yellow  Creek.  This 


DODDRIDGE'S  ACCOUNT  OF  DUNMORE'S  WAR.  117 


speech  he  delivered  in  so  loud  a  tone  of  voice,  that  he  was  heard  all 
over  the  camp.  The  terms  of  the  treat}'  were  soon  settled  and  the 
prisoners  delivered  up. 

Logan,  the  Cayuga  chief,  assented  to  the  treaty  ;  but  still  in- 
dignant at  the  murder  of  his  family,  he  refused  to  attend  with  the 
other  chiefs  at  the  camp  of  Dunmore.  According  to  the  Indian  mode 
in  such  cases,  he  sent  his  speech  in  a  belt  of  wampum  by  an  inter- 
preter, to  be  read  at  the  treat3^ 

Supposing  that  this  work  may  fail  in  the  hands  of  some  readers 
who  have  not  seen  the  speech  of  Logan,  the  author  thinks  it  not 
amiss  to  insert  the  celebrated  morsel  of  Indian  eloquence  in  this  place, 
Vv'ith  the  obser\'ation  that  the  authenticity  of  the  speech  is  no  longer 
a  subject  of  doubt.    The  speech  is  as  follows  : 

"  I  appeal  to  any  white  man  to  sa}',  if  he  ever  entered  Logan's 
cabin  hungry,  and  he  gave  him  not  meat ;  if  he  ever  came  cold  and 
naked,  and  he  clothed  him  not.  During  the  course  of  the  last  long 
and  bloody  war,  Logan  remained  idle  in  his  cabin,  an  advocate  for 
peace.  Such  was  my  love  for  the  whites,  that  my  countrymen  pointed 
as  they  passed,  and  said,  '  Logan  is  the  friend  of  the  white  man,'  I 
had  even  thought  to  have  lived  with  you,  but  for  the  injuries  of  one 
man.  Col.  Cresap,  the  Idst  spring,  in  cold  blood,  and  unprovoked, 
murdered  all  the  relations  of  Logan,  not  even  sparing  my  women 
and  children.  There  runs  not  a  drop  of  my  blood  in  the  veins  of 
any  living  creature.  This  called  on  me  for  revenge.  I  have  sought 
it ;  I  have  killed  many  ?  I  have  glutted  my  vengeance  ;  for  my  coun- 
try I  rejoice  at  the  beams  of  peace.  But  do  not  harbor  a  thought 
that  mine  is  the  joy  of  fear.  Logan  never  felt  fear.  He  will  not 
turn  on  his  heel  to  save  his  life.  Who  is  there  to  mourn  for  Logan  ? 
Not  one." 

Thus  ended  the  treaty  of  Camp  Charlotte,  in  the  month  of  No- 
vember, 1774,  the  disastrous  war  of  Dunmore.  It  began  in  the 
w^anton  and  unprovoked  murders  of  the  Indians  at  Captina 
and  Yellow^  Creek,  and  ended  in  an  awful  sacrifice  of  life  and 
property  to  the  demon  of  revenge.  On  our  part  we  obtained  at 
the  treaty  a  cessation  of  hostilities  and  a  surrender  of  prisoners,  and 
nothing  more. 

The  plan  of  operations  adopted  by  the  Indians  in  the  war  of 
Dunmore,  shows  very  clearly  that  their  chiefs  were  b}'  no  means  de- 
ficient in  the  foresight  and  skill  necessary  for  making  the  most  pru- 
dent military  arrangements  for  obtaining  success  and  victory-  in  the 
mode  of  warfare.  At  an  early  period  they  obtained  intelligence 
of  the  plan  of  the  campaign  against  them,  concerted  between  the 
Earl  of  Dunmore  and  Gen.  Lewis.  With  a  view,  therefore,  to  at- 
tack the  forces  of  these  commanders  separately,  they  speedily-  col- 
lected their  warriors,  and  by  forced  marches  reached  the  Point  before 
the  expected  arrival  of  the  troops  under  Dunmore.  Such  w^as  the 
privacy  with  w^hich  they  conducted  their  march  to  Point  Pleasant, 
that  Gen.  Lewis  knew  nothing  of  the  approach  of  the  Indian  army 


ii8        JACOB'S  ACCOUNT  OF  DUNMORE'S  WAR. 

until  a  few  minutes  before  the  commencement  of  the  battle,  and  it 
is  very  probable,  that  if  Constalk,  the  Indian  commander,  had  had  a 
little  larger  force  at  the  battle  of  the  Point,  the  whole  army  of  Gen. 
Lewis  would  have  been  cut  off,  as  the  wary  savage  had  left  them  no 
chance  to  retreat.  Had  the  army  of  Lewis  been  defeated,  the  army 
of  Dunmore,  consisting  of  a  little  more  than  one  thousand  men,  would 
have  shared  the  fate  of  those  armies  w^hich  at  different  periods  have 
suffered  defeats  in  consequence  of  venturing  too  far  into  the  Indian 
country,  in  numbers  too  small,  and  with  munitions  of  w^ar  inade- 
quate to  sustain  a  contest  v/ith  the  united  forces  of  a  number  of  In- 
dian nations. 

It  was  the  general  belief  among  the  officers  of  our  army,  at  the 
time,  that  the  Earl  of  Dunmore,  while  at  Wheeling,  received  advice 
from  his  government  of  the  probability  of  the  approaching  war  be- 
tween England  and  the  colonies,  and  that  afterwards,  all  his  meas- 
ures, with  regard  to  the  Indians,  had  for  their  ultimate  object  an 
alliance  with  those  ferocious  warriors  for  the  aid  of  the  mother  coun- 
try in  their  contest  with  us.  This  supposition  accounts  for  his  not 
forming  a  junction  with  the  arm3^of  Lewis  at  Point  Pleasant.  This 
deviation  from  the  origin  plan  of  the  campaign  jeopardized  the  army 
of  Lewis  and  well  nigh  occasioned  its  total  destruction.  The  con- 
duct of  the  Earl  at  the  treaty,  shows  a  good  understanding  betw^een 
him  the  and  Indian  chiefs.  He  did  not  suffer  the  armj^  of  Lewis  to  form 
a  junction  with  his  own,  but  sent  them  back  before  the  treaty  was 
concluded,  thus  risking  the  safety  of  his  own  forces ;  for  at 
the  time  of  the  treaty,  the  Indian  w^arriors  v/ere  about  his  camp 
in  force  sufficient  to  have  intercepted  his  retreat  and  destroyed  his 
whole  army. 

REV.  MR.  JACOB'S  ACCOUNT  OF  DUNMORK'S  WAR. 

At  this  period,  to-wit :  in  the  commencement  of  the  year  1774, 
there  existed  between  our  people  and  the  Indians,  a  kind  of  doubt- 
ful, precarious  and  suspicious  peace.  In  the  3'^ear  1773,  they 
killed  a  certain  John  Martin  and  Guy  Meeks,  (Indian  traders), 
on  the  Hockhocking  River,  and  robbed  them  of  about  ^200  worth 
of  goods. 

They  were  much  irritated  with  our  people,  who  were  about  this 
time  beginning  to  settle  Kentucky,  and  with  them  they  waged  an 
unceasing  and  destructive  predatory  war ;  and  whoever  saw  an  In- 
dian in  Kentucky,  saw  an  enemy  ;  no  questions  were  asked  on  either 
side  but  from  the  muzzles  of  their  rifles.  Many  other  circumstances 
at  this  period  combined  to  show  that  our  peace  with  the  Indians 
rested  upon  such  dubious  and  uncertain  ground,  that  it  must  soon 
be  dispersed  with  a  whirlwind  of  carnage  and  war.  And  as  I  con- 
sider this  an  all-important  point  in  the  thread  of  our  history,  and  an 
interesting  link  in  the  causes  combining  to  produce  Dunmore's  war,  I 
will  present  the  reader  with  another  fact  directly  in  point.    It  is 


JACOB'S  ACCOUNT 


119 


extracted  from  the  journal  of  a  'Squire  McConnel,  in  my  possession. 
The  writer  says,  that  about  the  3d  of  March,  1774,  while  himself 
and  six  other  men,  who  were  in  company  with  him,  were  asleep  in 
their  camp  in  the  night,  they  were  awakened  by  the  fierce  barking 
of  their  dogs,  and  thought  the}^  saw  something  like  men  creeping 
towards  them.  Alarmed  at  this,  they  sprang  up,  seized  their  rifles, 
and  flew  to  trees.  By  this  time  one  Indian  had  reached  their  fire  ;  but 
hearing  them  cock  their  guns,  he  drew  back,  stumbled  and  fell. 
The  whole  party  now  came  up,  and  appearing  friendly,  he  ordered  his 
men  not  to  fire,  and  shook  hands  with  his  new  guests.  They  tarried 
all  night,  and  appearing  so  friendly,  prevailed  with  him  and  one  of 
his  men  to  go  with  them  to  their  towm,  at  no  great  distance  from 
their  camp  ;  but  when  they  arrived  he  w^as  taken  with  his  compan- 
ion to  their  council,  or  war  house  ;  a  war  dance  performed  around 
them,  the  war  club  shook  at  or  over  them,  and  they  were  detained 
close  prisoners,  and  narrowl}'  guarded  for  two  or  three  da3's.  A 
council  was  then  held  over  them,  and  it  w^as  decreed  that  they 
should  be  threatened  severely  and  discharged,  provided  they  would 
give  their  women  som.e  flour  and  salt.  Being  dismissed,  they  set  out 
on  their  journey  to  the  camp,  but  met  on  their  way  about  twenty- 
five  warriors  and  some  boys.  A  second  council  was  held  over  them, 
and  it  was  decreed  that  they  should  not  be  killed,  but  robbed,  which 
was  accordingly  done  ;  and  all  their  flour,  salt,  powder  and  lead, 
and  all  their  rifles  that  were  good,  were  taken  from  them  ;  and  being 
further  threatened,  the  Indians  left  them  as  already  noticed.  This 
party  consisted  of  seven  men,  viz:  'Squire  McConnel,  Andrew  Mc- 
Connel, Lavvrence  Darnel,  William  Ganet,  Matthew  Riddle,  John 
Laferty  and  Thos.  Canady. 

We  have  also  in  reserve  some  more  material  facts,  that  go  to 
show  the  aspect  of  affairs  at  this  period  and  that  may  be  considered 
as  evident  precursors  to  an  impending  war.  And  it  is  certainly  not 
a  trifling  item  in  the  catalogue  of  these  events,  that  early  in  the 
spring  of  1774,  whether  preceeding  or  subsequent  to  Connoly's  fam- 
ous circular  letter,  I  am  not  prepared  to  say,  having  no  positive 
data  ;  but  was,  however,  about  the  time  that  the  Indians  killed  two 
men  in  a  canoe  belonging  to  a  Mr.  Butler,  of  Pittsburg,  and  robbed 
the  canoe  of  the  property  therein.  This  was  the  ist  of  May,  ^7745 
and  took  place  near  the  mouth  of  Little  Beaver,  a  small  creek  that 
empties  into  the  Ohio  River,  between  Pittsburg  and  Wheeling  ;  and 
this  fact  is  so  certain  and  well  established,  that  Benjamin  Tomlin- 
son,  Esq.,  is  now  living  (1826)  and  wdio  assisted  in  burying  the 
dead,  can  and  will  bear  testimony  to  its  truth.  And  it  is  presumed 
it  was  this  circumstance  which  produced  that  prompt  and  terrible 
vengeance  taken  on  the  Indians  at  Yellow  Creek  immediately  after- 
ward, to- wit  :  on  the  3rd  day  of  May,  which  gave  rise  to,  and  furn- 
ished matter  for,  the  pretended  lying  speech  of  Logan,  which  I  shall 
hereafter  prove  a  counterfeit,  and  if  it  was  genuine,  yet  a  genuine 
fabrication  of  lies. 


I20 


OF  DUNMORE'S  WAR. 


Thus  we  find  from  an  examination  into  the  state  of  affairs  in 
the  west,  that  there  was  a  predisposition  to  war,  at  least  on  the  part 
of  the  Indians.  But  we  may  not  suspect  that  other  latest  causes, 
working  behind  the  scenes  and  in  the  dark,  were  silently  marching 
to  the  same  result  ? 

Be  it  remembered,  then,  that  this  Indian  war  was  but  a  portico 
to  our  revolutionary  war,  the  fuel  for  which  was  then  preparing,  and 
which  burst  into  a  flame  the  ensuing  3'ear. 

Neither  let  us  forget  that  the  Earl  of  Dunmore  was  at  this  time 
governor  of  Virginia  ;  and  that  he  was  acquainted  with  the  views 
and  designs  of  the  British  Cabinet,  can  scarcely  be  doubted. 
What  then,  suppose  ye,  would  be  the  conduct  of  a  man  possessing 
his  means,  filling  a  high,  official  station,  attached  to  the  British  gov- 
ernment, and  master  of  consumate  diplomatic  skill  ? 

Dunmore' s  penetrating  eye  could  not  but  see,  and  he  no  doubt 
did  see,  two  all-important  objects,  that,  if  accomplished,  would  go  to 
subserve  and  promote  the  grand  object  of  the  British  Cabinet,  viz  : 
the  establishment  of  an  unbounded  and  unrestrained  authority  over 
our  North  American  continent. 

These  two  objects  were,  first,  setting  the  new  settlers  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Alleghany  Mountain  b}-  the  ears  ;  and  secondly,  embroil- 
ing the  wx-stern  people  in  a  war  with  the  Indians.  These  two  objects 
accomplished,  would  put  it  in  his  power  to  direct  the  storm  to  any 
and  every  point  conr'ucive  to  the  grand  object  he  had  in  view.  But 
as  in  the  nature  of  the  thing  he  could  not,  and  policy  forbidding  that 
he  should,  always  appear  personall}^  in  promoting  and  effecting  these 
objects,  it  was  necessary  he  should  obtain  a  confidential  agent  at- 
tached to  his  person  and  to  the  British  government,  and  one  that, 
would  promote  his  views  either  publicl}' or  covertly,  as  circumstances 
required. 

The  materials  for  his  first  object  were  abundant,  and  already 
prepared.  The  emigrants  to  the  western  country  were  almost  all 
from  the  three  states  of  Virginia,  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania.  The 
line  between  the  two  states  of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania  was  un- 
settled, and  both  these  states  claimed  the  whole  of  the  western  coun- 
tr}^  This  motly  mixture  of  men  from  dift'erent  states  did  not 
harmonize.  The  Virginians  and  Marylanders  disliked  the  Pennsyl- 
vania laws,  nor  did  the  Pennsylanians  relish  those  of  Virginia.  Thus 
many  disputes,  much  warm  blood,  broils,  and  sometimes  battles, 
cat  tied  fisticuffs,  followed. 

The  Earl  of  Dunmore,  with  becoming  zeal  for  the  honor  of  the 
ancient  dominion,"  seized  upon  this  stage  or  things  so  propitious 
to  his  views  ;  and  having  found  Dr.  JohnConnoly,  aPennsylvanian, 
with  whom  I  think  he  could  not  have  had  much  previous  acquaint- 
ance, by  the  art  of  hocuspocus  or  some  other  art,  converted  him  into 
a  staunch  Virginian,  and  appointed  him  vice-governor  and  com- 
mandant of  Pittsburg  and  its  dependencies,  that  is  to  say  of  all  the 
western  country.    Affairs  on  that  side  of  the  mountain  began  to 


JACOB'S  ACCOUNT 


121 


wear  a  serious  aspect ;  attempts  were  made  by  both  States  to  enforce 
their  laws  ;  and  the  strong  arm  of  power  and  coercion  was  let  loose 
by  Virginians.  Some  magistrates  acting  under  tHe  authority  of 
Pennsylvania  were  arrested,  sent  to  Virginia  and  imprisoned. 

But  that  the  reader  may  be  well  assured  that  the  hand  of  Dun- 
more  was  in  all  this,  I  present  him  with  a  copy  of  his  proclamation. 
It  is,  however,  deficient  as  to  date  : 

Whereas,  I  have  reason  to  apprehend  that  the  Governor  of 
Pennsylvania,  in  prosecution  of  their  claims  to  Pittsburg  and  its  de- 
pendencies, will  endeavor  to  obstruct  his  majesty's  government 
thereof,  under  my  administration,  by  illegal  and  unwarrantable  com- 
mitment of  the  officers  I  have  appointed  for  the  purpose,  and  that 
settlement  is  in  some  danger  of  annoyance  from  the  Indians  also  ; 
and  it  being  necessary  to  support  the  dignity  of  his  majesty's  gov- 
ernment and  protect  his  subjects  in  the  quiet  and  peaceable  enjoy- 
ment of  their  rights  ;  I  have  therefore  thought  proper,  by  and  with 
the  consent  and  advice  of  his  majesty's  council,  by  this  proclama- 
tion in  his  majesty's  name,  to  order  and  require  the  officers  of 
the  militia  in  that  district  to  embody  a  sufficient  number  of  men  to 
repel  any  insult  whatsoever  ;  and  all  his  majesty's  liege  subject  with- 
in this  colony  are  hereby  strictly  required  to  be  aiding  and  assisting 
therein,  or  they  shall  aUvSwer  the  contrarj^  at  their  peril ;  and  I  fur- 
ther enjoin  and  require  the  several  inhabitants  of  the  territories 
aforesaid  to  pay  his  majesty's  quitrents  and  public  dues  to  such  offi- 
cers as  are  or  shall  be  appointed  to  collect  the  same  within  this 
dominion,  until  his  majesty's  pleasure  therein  shall  be  known." 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  my  copy  of  this  proclamation  is 
without  date.  There  can,  however,  be  no  doubt  it  was  issued  in 
1774  or  early  in  1775,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  it  was  issued  in 
1774  ;  but  it  would  be  satisfactor}'  to  know  precisely  the  day,  be- 
cause chronology  is  the  soul  of  history. 

But  this  state  of  things  in  the  west,  it  seems  from  subsequent 
events,  was  not  the  mere  effervescence  of  a  transcient  and  momen- 
tary excitement,  but  continued  a  long  season.  The  seeds  of  discord 
had  fallen  unhappily  on  ground  too  naturally  productive,  and  were 
also  too  well  cultivated  by  the  Earl  of  Dunmore,  Connoly,  and  the 
Pennsylvania  officers,  to  evaporate  in  an  instant. 

We  find  by  recurring  to  the  history  of  our  revolutionary  war, 
that  that  awful  tornado,  if  it  had  not  the  effect  to  sweep  away  dis- 
putes about  state  rights  and  local  interests,  yet  it  had  the  effect  to 
silence  and  suspend  everything  of  that  nature  pending  our  dubious 
and  arduous  struggle  for  national  existence  ;  but  yet  we  find,  in  fact, 
that  whatever  concilitor}^  effect  this  state  of  things  had  upon  other 
sections  of  the  country,  and  upon  the  nation  at  large,  it  was  not 
sufficient  to  extinguish  this  fire  in  the  west.  For  in  the  latter  end 
of  the  year  1776,  or  in  the  year  1777,  we  find  these  people  petitioning 

16 


122 


OF  DUNMORE'S  WAR. 


Congress  to  interpose  their  authority,  and  redress  their  grevances. 
I  have  this  petition  before  me,  but  it  is  too  long  to  copy  ;  I  therefore 
only  give  a  short  abstract. 

It  begins  with  stating  that  whereas  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania 
both  set  up  claims  to  the  western  country,  it  was  productive  of  the 
most  serious  and  distressing  consequences  ;  that  as  each  State  per- 
tinaciously supported  their  respective  pretensions,  the  result  was,  as 
described  by  themselves,  ''frauds,  impositions,  violences,  depreda- 
tions, animosities,"  &c.,  &c. 

These  evils  they  ascribe  (as  indeed  the  fact  was)  to  the  conflict- 
ing claims  of  the  two  States  ;  and  so  warm  were  the  partizans  on 
each  side,  as  in  some  cases  to  produce  battles  and  shedding  of  blood. 
But  they  superadd  another  reason  of  this  ill-humor,  namely,  the 
proceedings  of  Dunmore's  warrant  officers,  in  laying  land  warrants 
on  land  claimed  b}^  others,  and  many  other  claims  for  land  granted 
by  the  crown  of  England  to  individuals,  companies,  &c.,  cover- 
ing a  vast  extent  of  country,  and  including  most  of  the  lands 
already  settled  and  occupied  by  the  greatest  part  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  western  country  ;  and  they  finalh^  prayed  Congress  to 
erect  them  into  a  separate  State  and  admit  them  into  the  Union  as 
a  fourteenth  State. 

As  the  petition  recites  the  treaty  of  Pittsburg,  in  October^ 
1775,  it  is  probable  we  may  fix  its  date  (for  it  has  none)  to  the  lat- 
ter part  of  1776  or  1777.  I  rather  think  the  latter,  not  only  from 
my  own  recollection  of  the  circumstances  of  the  period,  but  especially 
from  the  request  in  the  petition  to  be  erected  into  a  new  State,  which 
certainly  would  not  have  been  thought  of  before  the  Declaration  of 
Independence. 

But  the  unhappy  state  of  the  western  country  will  appear  still 
more  evident,  when  we  advert  to  another  important  document  which 
I  have  also  before  me.  It  is  a  proclamation  issued  by  the  delegates 
in  Congress  from  the  States  of  Pennsjdvania  and  Virginia,  and  bears 
date  Philadelphia,  July  25,  1775. 

But  the  heat  of  fire,  and  inflexible  obstinacy  of  the  parties  en- 
gaged in  this  controversy,  will  appear  in  colors  still  stronger,  when 
we  see  the  unavailing  efforts  made  by  the  delegates  in  Congress  from 
the  two  States  of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania  in  the  year  1775. 
These  gentlemen,  it  was  obvious,  under  the  influence  of  the  best  of 
motives,  and  certainly  with  a  view  to  the  best  interests,  peace,  and 
happiness  to  the  western  people,  sent  them  a  proclamation,  couched 
in  terms  directly  calculated  ro  restore  tranquility  and  harmony 
among  them  ;  but  the  little  effect  produced  by  this  proclamation, 
their  subsequent  petition  just  recited,  and  sent  the  next  year  or  year 
after  to  Congress,  fully  demonstrates. 

But  as  I  consider  this  proclamation  an  important  document,  and 
as  it  is  nowhere  recorded,  I  give  it  to  the  reader  entire  : 


,  JACOB'S  ACCOUNT 


123 


To  the  Inhabitants  of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia y  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Laurel  Hill, 

' '  Friends  and  Countrymen  : — It  gives  us  much  concern  to 
find  disburbances  have  arisen,  and  still  continue  among  you,  con- 
cerning the  boundaries  of  our  colonies.  In  the  character  in  which 
we  now  address  you,  it  is  necessary  to  inquire  in  the  origiii  of  those 
unhappy  disputes,  and  it  would  be  improper  for  us  to  express  our 
approbation  or  censure  on  either  side  ;  but  as  representatives  of  two 
of  the  colonies,  united  among  many  others  for  the  defence  of  the 
liberties  of  America,  we  think  it  our  duty  to  remove,  as  far  as  lies 
in  our  power,  every  obstacle  that  may  prevent  her  sons  from  co- 
operating as  vigorously  as  they  would  wish  to  do  towards  the  attain- 
ment of  the  great  and  important  end.  Influenced  solely  by  this 
motive,  our  joint  and  earnest  request  to  you  is,  that  all  animosities, 
which  have  heretofore  subsisted  among  you,  as  inhabitants  of  dis- 
tinct colonies,  may  now  give  place  to  generous  and  concurring  efforts 
for  the  preservation  of  everything  that  can  make  our  common  coun- 
try dear  to  us, 

"  We  are  fully  persuaded  that  you,  as  well  as  we,  wish  to  see 
your  differences  terminate  in  this  happy  issue.  For  this  desirable 
purpose  we  recommend  it  to  you  that  all  bodies  of  armed  men,  kept 
under  either  province,  be  dismissed  ;  that  all  those  on  either  side, 
who  are  in  confiiument,  or  under  bail  for  taking  part  in  the  contest, 
be  discharged  ;  and  that  until  the  dispute  be  decided,  every  person 
be  permitted  to  retain  his  possessions  unmolested. 

By  observing  these  directions,  the  public  tranquility  will  be 
secured  without  injury  to  the  titles  on  either  side.  The  period,  we 
flatter  ourselves  will  soon  arrive,  when  this  unfortunate  dispute, 
which  has  produced  much  mischief,  and  as  far  as  we  can  learn  no 
good,  will  be  peaceably  and  constitutionally  determined. 

**We  are  your  friends  and  countrymen, 

^*P.  Henry, 

Richard  Henry  Lee, 
Benjamin  Harrison, 
Thos.  Jefferson, 
John  Dickinson, 
Geo.  Ross, 
B.  FrankIvIn, 

Jas.  W11.SON, 

Chari,es  Humphreys. 

Philadelphia^  July  2^th,  ly'/^. 

But  to  conclude  this  part  of  our  subject,  I  think  the  reader  can- 
not but  see  from  Dunmore's  proclamation,  the  violent  measures  of 
his  Lieutenant  Connoly  and  the  Virginia  officers,  and  from  the  com- 
plexion of  the  times,  and  subsequent  conduct  of  both  Dunmore  and 


124 


OF  DUNMORB'S  WAR. 


Connoly,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter ;  that  this  unhappy  state  of 
things,  if  not  actually  produced,  was  certainly  improved  by  Dun- 
more  to  subserve  the  views  of  the  British  court. 

We  now  proceed  to  examine  the  question,  how  far  facts  and 
circumstances  justify  us  in  supposing  the  Earl  of  Dunmore  himself 
was  instrumental  in  producing  the  Indian  war  of  1774. 

It  has  already  been  remarked  that  this  Indian  war  was  but  the 
precursor  to  our  revolutionary  war  of  1775 — that  Dunmore  the  then 
governor  of  Virginia,  was  one  of  the  most  inveterate  and  determined 
enemies  to  the  revolution — that  he  was  a  man  of  high  talents,  es- 
pecially for  intrigue  and  diplomatic  skill — that  occupying  the  sta- 
tion of  commander-in-chief  of  the  large  and  respectable  State  of 
Virginia,  he  possessed  means  and  power  to  do  much  to  serve  the 
views  of  Great  Britain.  And  we  have  seen,  from  the  preceding 
pages,  how  effectually  he  played  his  part  among  the  inhabitants  of 
the  western  country.  I  was  present  myself  when  a  Pennsylvinia 
magistrate,  of  the  name  of  Scott,  was  taken  into  custody,  and 
brought  before  Dunmore,  at  Prestone  old  Fort ;  he  was  severely 
threatened  and  dismissed,  perhaps  on  bail,  but  I  do  not  recollect 
how  ;  another  Pennsylvania  magistrate  was  sent  to  Staunton  jail. 
And  I  have  already  shown  in  the  preceding  pages,  that  there  was  a 
sufficient  preparation  of  materials  for  this  war  in  the  predisposition 
and  hostile  attitude  of  our  affairs  with  the  Indians;  that  it  was  con- 
sequently no  difficult  matter  with  a  Virginia  governor  to  direct  the 
incipient  state  of  things  to  any  point  most  conclusive  to  the  grand 
end  he  had  in  view,  namely,  in  weakening  our  national  strength  in 
some  of  the  best  and  most  efficient  parts.  If,  then,  a  war  with  the 
Indians  might  have  a  tendeny  to  produce  this  result,  it  appears  per- 
fectly natural  and  reasonable  to  suppose  that  Dunmore  would  make 
use  of  the  power  and  influence  to  promote  it ,  and  although  the  war 
of  1774  was  brought  to  a  conclusion  before  the  year  was  out,  yet 
we  know  that  this  fire  was  scarcely  extinguished  before  it  burst  into 
a  flame  with  tenfold  fury,  and  two  or  three  armies  of  the  whites 
were  sacrificed  before  we  could  get  the  Indians  subdued  ;  and  this 
unhappy  state  of  our  affairs  with  the  Indians  happening  during  the 
severe  conflict  of  our  revolutionary  war,  had  the  very  effect,  I  sup- 
pose, Dunmore  had  in  view  namely,  dividing  our  forces  and 
enfeebling  our  aggregate  strength  ;  and  that  the  seeds  of  these 
subsequent  wars  with  the  Indians  were  sown  in  1774  and  1775,  ap- 
pears almost  certain. 

Yet  still,  however,  we  admit  that  we  are  not  in  possession  of 
materials  to  substantiate  this  charge  against  the  Earl ;  and  all  we 
can  do  is  produce  some  facts  and  circumstances  that  deserve  no- 
tice, and  have  a  strong  bearing  on  the  case. 

And  the  first  we  shall  mention  *  is  a  circular  sent  by  Maj . 

*The  remark,  as  it  should  seem  incidently  made,  in  Dunmore's  procla- 
mation, as  to  the  Indian  war  (see  page  121),  deserve  notice,  as  it  has  no  con- 
nection with  the  subject  of  that  proclamation. 


JACOB'S  ACCOUNT 


125 


Cotinoly,  his  proxy,  early  in  the  spring  of  the  year  1774,  warning 
the  inhabitants  to  be  on  their  guard — the  Indians  were  very  angry, 
and  manifested  so  much  hostility,  that  he  was  apprehensive  they 
would  strike  somewhere  as  soo?i  as  the  season  would  permit^  and  en- 
joining the  inhabitants  to  prepare  and  retire  into  Forts,  &c.  It 
might  be  useful  to  collate  and  compare  this  letter  with  one  he 
wrote  to  Capt.  Cresap  on  the  14th  of  July  following  ;  see  hereafter. 
In  this  letter  he  declares  there  is  a  war  or  danger  of  war,  before  the 
war  is  properly  begun  ;  in  that  to  Capt.  Cresap  he  says  the  Indians 
deport  themselves  peaceably,  when  Dunmore  and  Lewis  and  Corn- 
stalk are  all  out  on  their  march  for  battle. 

This  letter  was  sent  by  express  in  every  section  of  the  country. 
Unhappily  we  have  lost  or  mislaid  it,  and  consequently  are  deficient 
in  a  most  material  point  in  this  date.  But  from  one  expression  in 
the  letter,  namely,  that  the  Indians  will  strike  when  the  season  per- 
mits, and  this  season  is  generally  understood  to  mean  when  the 
leaves  are  out,  we  may  fix  it  in  the  month  of  May.  We  find  from 
a  subsequent  letter  from  Pentecost  and  Connoly  to  Capt.  Reece, 
that  this  assumed  fact  is  proved  ;  see  hereafter. 

Therefore  this  letter  cannot  be  of  a  later  date  than  sometime  in  the 
month  of  April ;  and  if  so,  before  Butler's  men  were  killed  on  Little 
Beaver ;  and  before  Logan's  family  were  killed  on  Yellow  Creek, 
and  was  in  fact  the  fiery  red-cross  and  harbinger  of  war,  as  in  days 
of  yore  among  the  Scottish  clans.  That  was  the  fact  I  think,  abso- 
lutely certain,  because  no  mention  is  made  in  Connoly 's  letter  of  this 
affair,  which  certainly  would  not  have  been  omitted,  if  precedent  to 
this  letter. 

This  letter  produced  its  natural  result.  The  people  fled  into 
Forts,  and  put  themselves  into  a  posture  of  defense,  and  the  tocsin 
of  war  resounded  from  Laurel  Hill  to  the  banks  of  the  Ohio  River. 
Capt.  Cresap  who  was  peacebly  at  this  time  employed  in  building 
houses  and  improving  lands,  on  the  Ohio  River,  received  this  letter, 
accompanied,  it  is  believed,  with  a  confirmatory  message  from  Col. 
Croghan  and  Maj.  McGee,  Indian  agents  and  interpreters  ;  ^  and  he 
thereupon  immediately  broke  up  his  camp,  and  ascended  the  River 
to  Wheeling  Fort,  the  nearest  place  of  safelty  from  whence  it  is  be- 
lieved he  intended  speedily  to  return  home  ;  but  during  his  stay  at 
this  place,  a  report  was  brought  in  the  Fort  that  two  Indians  were 
coming  down  the  River.  Capt.  Cresap,  supposing  from  every  circum- 
stance, and  the  general  aspect  of  affairs,  that  war  was  inevitable,  and 
in  fact  already  begun,  went  up  the  River  with  his  party  ;  and  two 
of  his  men,  of  the  name  of  Chenoweth  and  Brothers,  killed  these 
two  Indians.  Beyond  controversy  this  is  the  only  circumstance  in 
the  history  of  this  Indian  war,  in  which  his  name  can  in  the  remot- 
est degree  be  identified  with  any  measure  tending  to  produce  this 
war  ;  and  it  is  certain  that  the  guilt  or  innocence  of  this  affair  will 


*  I  had  this  from  Capt.  Cresap  himself,  a  short  time  after  it  occurred. 


126 


OF  DUNMORE'S  WAR. 


appear  from  this  date.  It  is  notorious,  then,  that  those  Indians 
were  killed  not  only  after  Capt.  Cresap  had  received  Connoly's  let- 
ter, and  after  Butler's  men  were  killed  in  the  canoe,  but  also  after 
the  affair  at  Yellow  Creek,  and  after  the  people  had  fled  into  the 
Forts.  But  more  of  this  after,  when  we  take  up  Mr.  Doddridge 
and  his  book  ;  simply,  however,  remarking  here,  that  is  affair  of 
killing  those  two  Indians  has  the  same  aspect  and  relation  to 
Dunmore's  war  that  the  battle  of  Lexington  has  to  the  war  of  the 
revolution. 

But  to  proceed.  Permit  us  to  remark,  that  it  is  very  difficult 
at  this  late  period  to  form  a  correct  idea  of  these  times  unless  we  can 
bring  distinctly  into  view  the  real  state  of  our  frontier.  The  inhabi- 
tants of  the  western  country  were  at  this  time  thinly  scattered  from 
the  Alleghany  Mountain  to  the  eastern  banks  of  the  Ohio  River,  and 
most  thinly  near  that  River.  In  this  state  of  things,  it  was  natural 
to  suppose  that  the  few  settlers  in  the  vicinity  of  Wheeling,  who  had 
collected  into  the  Fort,  would  feel  extremely  solicitious  to  detain 
Capt.  Cresap  and  his  men  as  long  as  possible,  especially  until  they 
could  see  on  what  point  the  storm  would  fall.  Capt.  Cresap,  the  son 
of  a  hero,  and  a  hero  himself,  felt  for  their  situation ;  and  getting 
together  a  few  more  men,  in  addition  to  his  own,  and  not  relishing 
the  limits  of  a  little  Fort,  nor  a  life  of  inactivity,  set  out  on  what  was 
called  a  scouting  party,  that  is,  to  reconnoiter  and  scour  the  frontier 
border  ;  and  while  out  and  engaged  in  this  business,  fell  in  with  and 
had  a  running  fight  with  a  party  of  Indians,  nearly  about  his  equal 
in  numbers,  when  one  Indian  was  killed,  and  Cresap  had  one  man 
wounded.  This  affair  took  place  somewhere  on  the  banks  of  the 
Ohio.  Doddridge  says  it  was  at  the  mouth  of  Captina  ;  be  it  so — it 
matters  not ;  but  he  adds,  it  was  on  the  same  day  the  Indians  were 
killed  in  the  canoe.  In  this  the  doctor  is  most  egregiously  mistaken, 
as  I  shall  prove  hereafter. 

But  may  we  not  ask,  what  were  these  Indians  doing  here  at 
this  time,  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio  ?  They  had  no  town  near  this 
place,  nor  was  it  their  hunting  season,  it  was  about  the  8th  or  loth 
of  May.  Is  it  not  then  probable,  nay,  almost  certain,  that  the 
struggling  banditti  were  prepared  and  ready  to  fall  on  some  parts 
of  our  exposed  frontier,  and  that  their  dispersion  saved  the  lives  of 
many  helpless  women  and  children  ? 

But  the  old  proverb,  cry  mad  dog  and  kill  him  /  is,  I  suppose, 
equally  as  applicable  to  heroes  as  to  dogs. 

Capt.  Cresap  soon  after  this  returned  to  his  family  in  Maryland  ; 
but  feeling  most  sensibly  for  the  inhabitants  on  the  frontier  in  their 
perilous  situation,  immediately  raised  a  company  of  volunteers, 
and  marched  back  to  their  assistance  ;  and  having  advanced  as 
far  as  Catfish  Camp,  the  place  where  Washington,  Pa.,  now  stands, 
he  was  arrested  in  his  progress  by  a  peremptory  and  insulting 
order  from  Connoly,  commanding  him  to  dismiss  his  men  and  to  re- 
turn home. 


JACOB'S  ACCOUNT 


127 


This  order,  couclied  in  offensive  and  insulting  language,  it  may 
be  well  supposed,  was  not  very  grateful  to  a  man  of  Capt.  Cresap's 
high  sense  of  honor  and  peculiar  sensibility,  especially  conscious  as 
he  was  of  the  purity  of  his  motives,  and  the  laudable  end  he  had  in 
view.  He  nevertheless  obeyed,  returned  home  and  dismissed  his 
men,  and  with  the  determination,  I  well  know  from  what  he  said 
after  his  return,  never  again  to  take  any  part  in  the  present  Indian 
war,  but  to  leave  Mr.  Commandant  at  Pittsburg  to  tight  it  out  as 
he  could.  This  hasty  resolution  was,  however,  of  short  duration. 
For  however  strange,  contradictor}',  and  irreconcilable  the  conduct 
of  the  Earl  of  Dunmore  and  his  Vice-governor  at  Pittsburg,  &c. 
may  appear,  yet  it  is  a  fact,  that  on  the  loth  of  June,  the  Earl  of 
Dunmore,  unsolicited,  and  to  Capt.  Cresap,  certainlj^  unexpected, 
sent  him  a  Captain's  commission  of  the  militia  of  Plampshire  countj^ 
Virginia,  notwithstanding  his  residence  was  in  Maryland.  This 
commission  reached  Capt.  Cresap  a  few  days  after  his  return  from 
the  expedition  to  Catfish  Camp,  just  above  mentioned;  and  inas- 
much as  this  commission,  coming  to  him  the  way  it  did,  carried 
with  it  a  tacit  expression  of  the  Governor's  approbation  of  his 
conduct — add  to  which,  that  about  the  same  time  his  feelings 
were  daily  assailed  by  petition  after  petition,  from  almost  every 
section  of  the  western  country,  praying,  begging,  and  beseeching 
him  to  come  of  to  their  assistance — it  is  not  surprising  that  his 
resolution  should  be  changed.  Several  of  these  petitions  and  Dun- 
more's  commission  have  escaped  the  wreck  of  time  and  are  now  in 
my  possession. 

This  commission  coming  at  the  time  it  did,  and  in  the  way  and 
under  the  circumstances  above  recited,  aided  and  strengthened  as  it 
was  by  the  numberless  petitioners  aforesaid,  broke  down  and  so 
far  extinguished  all  Capt.  Cresap's  personal  resentment  against 
Connoly  that  he  once  more  determined  to  exert  all  the  power  and  in- 
fluence in  assisting  the  distressed  inhabitants  of  the  v/estern  frontier, 
and  accordingly  immediately  raised  a  company,  placed  himself  under 
the  command  of  Maj.  Angus  McDonald,  and  marched  with  him  to 
attack  the  Indians,  at  their  town  of  Wappatomachie,  on  the  Musk- 
ingum. His  popularity,  at  this  time,  was  such,  and  so  many  men 
flocked  to  his  standard,  that  he  could  not  consistently  with  the  rules 
of  an  army,  retain  them  in  his  company,  but  obliged  to  transfer 
them,  much  against  their  wills,  to  other  captains,  and  the  result 
was,  that  after  retaining  in  his  own  company  as  many  men  as  he 
could  consistently,  he  filled  completely  the  company  of  his  nephew, 
Capt.  Michael  Cresap,  and  also  parth^  the  company  of  Capt.  Han- 
cock Lee.  This  little  army  of  about  four  hundred  men,  under  Maj. 
McDonald,  penetrated  the  Indian  country  as  far  as  the  Muskingum  ; 
near  which  they  skirmished  with  a  party  of  Indians  under  Captain 
Snake,  in  which  McDonald  lost  six  men,  and  killed  the  Indian  chief 
Snake. 

A  little  anecdote  here  will  go  to  show  what  expert  and  close 


128 


OF  DUNMORE'S  WAR. 


shooters  we  had  in  those  days  among  our  riflemen.  When  McDon- 
ald's little  army  arrived  on  the  bank  of  the  Muskingum  River,  and 
while  lying  there,  an  Indian  on  the  opposite  shore  got  behind  a  log 
or  old  tree,  and  was  lifting  up  his  head  occasionally  to  view  the 
white  men's  army.  One  of  Capt.  Cresap's  men,  of  the  name  of 
John  Harness,  seeing  this,  loaded  his  rifle  with  two  balls,  and 
placing  himself  on  the  bank  of  the  River,  watched  the  oppor- 
tunity when  the  Indian  raised  his  head,  and  firing  at  the  same  in- 
stant, put  both  balls  through  the  Indian's  neck,  and  laid  him  dead  ;  * 
which  circumstance  no  doubt  had  great  influence  in  intimidating  the 
Indians. 

McDonald  after  this  had  another  running  fight  with  the  Indians, 
drove  them  from  their  towns,  burnt  them,  destroyed  their  provisions, 
and,  returned  to  the  settlement  and  discharged  his  men. 

But  this  affair  at  Wappatomachie  and  expedition  of  McDonald 
were  only  the  prelude  to  more  important  and  efficient  measures. 
It  was  well  understood  that  the  Indians  were  far  from  being 
subdued,  and  that  they  would  now  certainly  collect  all  their  forces, 
and  to  the  utmost  of  their  power  return  the  compliment  of  our  visit 
to  their  territories. 

The  Governor  of  Virginia,  whatever  might  have  been  his  views 
as  to  the  ulterior  measures,  lost  no  time  in  preparing  to  meet  this 
storm.  He  sent  orders  immediately  to  Col.  Andrew  Lewis,  of 
Augusta  county,  to  raise  an  army  of  about  one  thousand  men, 
and  to  march  with  all  expedition  to  the  mouth  of  the  Great 
Kanawha,  on  the  Ohio  River,  where,  or  at  some  other  point,  he 
would  join  him,  after  he  had  got  together  another  army,  which  he 
intended  to  raise  in  the  northwestern  counties,  and  command  in 
person.  Lewis  lost  no  time,  but  collected  the  number  of  men  re- 
quired, and  marched  without  delay  to  the  appointed  place  of  ren- 
dezvous. 

But  the  Earl  was  not  quite  so  rapid  in  his  movements,  which 
circumstance  the  eagle  eye  of  old  Cornstalk,  the  general  of  the  In- 
dian army,  saw,  and  was  determined  to  avail  himself  of,  foreseeing 
that  it  would  be  much  easier  to  destroy  two  separate  columns  of  an 
invading  army  before  than  after  their  junction  and  consolidation. 
With  this  view  he  marched  with  all  expedition  to  attack  Lewis  before 
he  was  joined  by  the  Earl's  army  from  the  north,  calculating,  con- 
fidently no  doubt,  that  if  he  could  destroy  Lewis,  he  would  be  able 
to  give  a  good  account  of  the  army  of  the  Earl. 

The  plan  of  Cornstalk  appear  to  have  been  those  of  a  consum- 
ate  and  skillful  general,  and  the  prompt  and  rapid  execution  of  them 
displayed  the  energy  of  a  warrior.  He,  therefore,  without  loss 
of  time,  attacked  Lewis  at  his  post.  The  attack  w^as  sudden,  vio- 
lent, and  I  believe  unexpected.  It  was  nevertheless  well  fought, 
very  obstinate,  and  of  long  continuance  ;  and  as  both  parties  fought 


*  The  Muskingum  at  this  place  is  said  to  be  about  200  yards  wide. 


JACOB'S  ACCOUNT  129 


with  rifles,  the  conflict  was  dreadful  ;  many  were  killed  on  both  sides, 
and  the  contest  was  onh^  finished  with  the  approach  of  night.  The 
Virginians,  however,  kept  the  field,  but  lost  nian}^  valuable  ofiicers 
and  men,  and  among  the  rest.  Col.  Charles  L-ewis,  brother  to  the 
commander-in-chief. 

Cornstalk  and  Blue  Jacket,  the  two  Indian  captains,  it  is  said, 
performed  prodigies  of  valor  ;  but  finding  at  length  all  their  efforts 
unavailing,  drew  off  their  men  in  good  order,  and  with  the  deter- 
mination to  fight  no  more,  if  peace  could  be  obtained  on  reasonable 
terms. 

This  battle  of  Lewis'  opened  an  easy  and  unmolested  passage 
for  Dunmore  through  the  Indian  country  ;  but  it  is  proper  to  re- 
mark here,  hovvcver,  that  when  Dunmore  arrived  with  his  vAng  of 
the  army  at  the  m^outh  of  the  Hockhocking  River,  he  sent  Capt. 
White-eyes,  a  Delavv-are  chief,  to  invite  the  Indians  to  a  treaty,  and 
he  remained  stationary  at  that  place  until  White-eyes  returned,  who 
reported  that  the  Indians  would  not  treat  about  peace.  I  presunie, 
in  order  of  time,  this  must  have  been  just  before  Lewis'  battle  ;  be- 
cause it  will  appear  in  the  sequal  of  this  storj^,  that  a  great  revolu- 
tion took  place  in  the  minds  of  the  Indians  after  the  battle. 

Dunm^ore,  immediately  upon  the  report  of  White-e3'es  that  the 
Indians  were  not  disposed  for  peace,  sent  an  express  to  Col.  Lewis  to 
move  on  and  meet  him  near  Chillicothe,  on  the  Scioto  River,  and 
both  wings  of  the  arm}^  were  put  in  motion.  But  as  Dunmore  ap- 
proached the  Indian  town,  he  was  met  by  flags  from  the  Indians, 
demanding  peace,  to  which  he  acceded,  halted  his  arm}-,  and  run- 
ners were  sent  to  invite  the  Indian  chiefs,  who  cheerfulh'  obe3'ed  the 
summons,  and  came  to  the  treaty — save  only  Logan,  the  great  ora- 
tor, who  refused  to  come.  It  seems,  however,  that  neither  Dunmore 
nor  the  Indian  chiefs  considered  his  presence  of  much  importance, 
for  they  went  to  vs'ork  and  finished  the  treaty  without  him — refer- 
ring, I  believe,  some  unsettled  points  for  future  discussion,  at  a 
treaty  to  be  held  the  ensuing  summer  or  fall  at  Pittsburg.  This 
treaty,  the  articles  of  which  I  never  saw,  nor  do  I  know  that  the}- 
were  ever  recorded,  concluded  Dunmore's  war,  in  September  or 
October,  1774.  After  the  treaty  was  over,  old  Cornstalk,  the  Shav\-- 
nee  chief,  accompanied  Dunmore's  arm}*  until  they  reached  the  mouth 
of  the  Hockhocking,  on  the  Ohio  River ;  and  what  was  more  singu- 
lar, rather  made  his  home  in  Capt.  Cresap's  tent,  with  whom  he 
continued  on  terms  of  the  most  friendly  familiarity.    I  consider  this 

*  A  Uttle  anecdote  will  prove  that  Dunmore  was  a  General,  and  also  tlie 
high  estimation  in  which  he  held  Capt.  Cresap.  While  the  army  was 
marching  through  the  Indian  countr;/,  Dunmore  ordered  Capt.  Cresap  with 
his  company  and  some  more  of  his  best  troops  in  the  rear.  This  displeased 
Cresap,  and  he  expostulated  with  the  Earl,  who  replied,  that  the  reason  of 
this  arrangement  was,  because  he  knew  that  if  he  was  attacked  in  front, 
all  those  men  would  soon  rush  forward  into  the  engagement.  The  reason, 
which  was  by  the  b}'  a  handsome  compliment,  satisfied  Cresap,  and  all  the 
rear  guard. 

17 


I30 


OF  DUNMORE'S  WAR. 


circumstance  as  positive  proof  that  the  Indians  themselves  neither 
considered  Capt.  Cresap  the  murderer  of  Logan's  family,  nor  the 
cause  of  the  war.  It  appears,  also,  that  at  this  place  the  Earl  of 
Dunmore  received  dispatches  from  England.  Doddridge  says  he  re- 
ceived these  on  his  march  out. 

But  we  ought  to  have  m^entioned  in  its  proper  place,  that  after 
the  treaty  between  Dunmore  and  the  Indians  commenced  near  Chil- 
licothe,  Lewis  arrived  with  his  army,  and  encamped  two  or  three 
miles  from  Dunmore,  which  greatly  alarmed  the  Indians,  as  they 
thought  he  was  so  much  irritated  at  losing  so  many  men  in  the  late 
battle  that  he  would  not  easily  be  pacified  ;  nor  would  they  be  satis- 
fied until  Dunmore  and  old  Cornstalk  went  into  Lewis'  camj>  to 
converse  w^ith  him. 

Dr.  Doddridge  represents  this  affair  in  different  shades  of  light 
from  this  statement.  I  can  only  say  I  had  my  information  from  an 
officer  who  was  present  at  the  time. 

But  it  is  time  to  remind  the -reader,  that,  although  I  have  wan- 
dered into  such  a  minute  detail  of  the  various  occurrences,  facts  and 
circumstances  of  Dunmore 's  war  ;  and  all  of  which  as  a  history  m.ay  be 
interesting  to  the  present  and  especially  to  the  rising  generation  ; 
yet  it  is  proper  to  remark  that  I  have  two  leading  objects  chiefly  in 
view — ^first,  to  convince  the  world,  that  whoever  and  whatever  might 
be  the  cause  of  the  Indian  war  in  1774,  it  was  not  Capt.  Cresap; 
secondly,  that  from  the  aspect  of  our  political  affairs,  at  that  period, 
and  from  the  knovv^n  hostility  of  Dunmore  to  the  American  Revolu- 
tion, and  withal  to  the  subsequent  conduct  of  Dunmore,  and  the 
dreadful  Indian  war  that  commenced  soon  after  the  beginning  of  our 
war  with  Great  Britain — I  say,  from  all  these  circumstances,  we 
have  infinitely  stronger  reasons  to  suspect  Dunmore  than  Cresap  ; 
and  I  ma}^  say  that  the  dispatches  above  mentioned  that  were  re- 
ceived by  Dunmore  at  Hockhocking,  although  after  the  treaty,  were 
yet  calculated  to  create  suspicion. 

But  if,  as  we  suppose,  Dunmore  was  secretly  at  the  bottom  of 
this  Indian  war,  it  is  evident  that  he  could  not  with  propriety  ap- 
pear personally  in  a  business  of  this  kind  ;  and  we  have  seen  and 
shall  see,  how  effectuall}^  his  sub-governor  played  his  part  be- 
tween the  Virginians  and  Pennsylvanians  ;  and  it  now  remains 
for  us  to  examine  how  far  the  conduct  of  this  man  (Connoly) 
will  bear  us  out  in  the  supposition  that  there  was  also  some  foul  play, 
some  dark  intriguing  work  to  embroil  the  western  country  in  an  In- 
dian war. 

And  I  think  it  best  now,  as  we  ha\^e  introduced  this  man  Con- 
noly again,  to  give  the  reader  a  short  condensed  history  of  his 
whole  proceedings,  that  we  may  have  him  in  full  view  at  once. 
We  have  already  presented  the  reader  with  his  circular  letter,  and 
its  natural  result  and  consequences  and  also  with  his  insulting  letter 
and  mandatory  order  to  Capt.  Cresap,  at  Catfish  Camp,  to  dismiss 
his  men  and  go  home  ;  and  that  the  reader  may  now  see  a  little  of 


JACOB'S  ACCOUNT 


the  character  of  this  man,  and  understand  him,  if  it  is  possible  to 
understand  him,  I  present  him  with  a  copy  of  a  letter  to  Capt, 
Reece. 

**  As  I  have  received  intelligence  that  Logan,  a  Mingo  Indian, 
with  about  twenty  Shawnees  and  others,  were  set  off  for  war,  last 
Monday,  and  I  have  reason  to  believe  they  may  come  upon  the  in- 
habitants about  Wheeling,  I  hereby  order,  require  and  command 
you,  with  all  the  men  you  can  raise,  immediately  to  march  and  join 
any  of  the  co7npanies  already  out  and  tmder  the  pay  of  the  govermnejit^ 
and  upon  joining  your  parties  together,  scour  the  frontier  and  be- 
come a  barrier  to  our  settlements,  and  endeavor  to  fall  in  with  their 
tracks,  and  pursue  them,  using  your  utmost  endeavours  to  chastise 
them  as  open  and  avowed  enemies. 

'  I  am,  sir,  your  most  humble  servant, 

*'DoRSEY  Pentecost,  for  JOHN  CONNOLY, 

To  Capt.  Joel  Reece,  use  all  expedition.  May  2j;  iyj4. 

Now  here  is  a  fellow  for  you.  A  very  short  time  before  this, 
perhaps  two  or  three  days  before  the  date  of  this  letter,  Capt.  Cresap, 
who  had  a  fine  company  of  volunteers,  is  insulted,  ordered  to  dismiss 
his  men  and  go  home  ;  and  indeed  it  appears  from  one  expression  in 
his  letter,  namely,  "the  companies  who  are  already  out,"  that  these 
companies  must  have  been  actually  out  at  the  very  time  Cresap  is 
ordered  home. 

Now  if  any  man  is  skilled  in  the  art  of  legerdemain,  let  him  un- 
.   riddle  this  enigma  if  he  can. 

But  as  so  many  important  facts  crowd  together  at  this  eventful 
period,  it  may  be  satisfactory  to  the  reader,  and  have  a  tendenc}^ 
more  clearly  to  illustrate  the  various  scenes  interwoven  in  the  thread' 
of  this  history,  to  present  to  his  view  a  chronological  list  of  these 
facts  ;  and  I  think  the  first  that  deserves  notice  is  Connoly's  circu- 
lar letter,  which  we  date  the  25th  day  of  April  ;  secondly,  the  two 
men  killed  in  Butler's  canoe  we  know  was  the  first  or  second  day  of 
May  ;  thirdly,  the  affair  at  Yellow  Creek,  was  on  the  third  day  of 
May  ;  fourthly,  the  Indians  killed  in  the  canoe  above  Wheeling,  the 
fifth  or  sixth  day  of  May  ;  fifth,  the  skirmish  with  the  Indians  on 
the  Ohio  River,  about  the  eigth  or  tenth  day  of  May  ;  after  which, 
Capt.  Cresap  returned  to  Catfish  Camp  about  the  twenty-fifth  day 
of  May.  Indeed,  this  first  speaks  for  itself  ;  it  could  not  be  earlier, 
when  it  is  considered  he  rode  home  from  the  Ohio  River,  a  distance 
of  about  one  hundred  and  forty  miles,  raised  a  company  and 
marched  back  as  far  as  Catfish  Camp,  through  bad  roads,  near 
one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  ;  and  all,  agreeably  to  ni}^  statement, 
in  seventeen  days  ;  then  it  is  evident  that  he  was  not  at  Catfish 
Camp  sooner  than  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  May  ;  and  if  so,  he 
was  ordered  home  at  the  very  time  when  scouts  were  out,  and  the 


132 


OF  DUNMORE'S  WAR. 


settlement  threatened  with  an  attack  from  the  Indians,  as  is  manifest 
from  Connoly's  own  letter  to  Capt.  Reece,  dated  May  27,  1774. 

But  the  hostilit}^  of  Connoly  to  Capt.  Cresap  was  unremitting 
and  without  measure  or  decency  ;  for  on  the  14th  day  of  July,  of 
the  same  year,  w^e  find  one  of  the  most  extraordinar}^  crooked, 
malignant.  Grub  Street  epistles,  that  ever  appeared  on  paper  ;  but 
let  us  see  it. 

''Fort  Dunmork,  *  July  14,  1774. 
' '  Your  whole  proceedings,  so  far  as  relate  to  our  disturbances 
with  the  Indians,  have  been  of  a  nature  so  extraordinary,  that  I  am 
much  at  a  loss  to  account  for  the  cause  :  "Hut  Vv^hen  I  consider  your 
late  steps  ;  tending  directly  to  ruin  the  service  here,  by  inveigling 
away  the  militia  of  this  garrison  by  your  preposterous  proposals, 
and  causing  them  thereby  to  embezzle  the  arms  of  the  government, 
purchased  at  an  enormous  expense,  and  at  the  same  time  to  reflect 
infinite  disgrace  upon  the  honor  of  this  colony,  b}^  attacking  a  set  of 
people,  which,  notwithstanding  the  injury  they  have  sustained  b}^ 
you  in  the  loss  of  their  people,  yet  continue  to  rely  upon  the  profes- 
sions of  friendship  which  I  have  made,  and  deport  themselves 
accordingly  ;  I  say,  when  I  consider  these  matters,  I  must  conclude 
you  are  actuated  by  a  spirit  of  discord,  so  prejudicial  to  the  peace 
and  good  order  of  societ}^  that  the  conduct  calls  for  justice,  and  due 
execution  thereof  can  only  check.  I  must  once  again  order  you  to 
desist  from  3'our  pernicious  designs,  and  require  of  you,  if  you  are 
an  officer  of  militia,  to  send  the  deserters  from  this  place  back  with 
all  expedition,  that  they  may  be  dealt  with  as  their  crimes  merit. 

I  am,  sir,  your  servant, 

"  JOHN  CONNOIvY." 

This  letter,  although  short,  contained  so  man}'  things  for  remark 
and  animadversion,  that  we  scarcely  know  where  to  begin.  It  ex- 
hibits, however,  a  real  picture  of  the  man,  and  a  mere  superificial 
glance  at  its  phraseology  will  prove  that  he  is  angry,  and  his  nerves 
in  a  tremor.  It  is,  in  fact,  an  incoherent  jumble  of  words  and  sen- 
tences, all  in  the  adjunctive. 

But  it  is  a  perfect  original  and  anomaly  in  the  epistolary  line  ; 
and  contains  in  itself  internal  marks  of  genuine  a  uthenticitv. 

The  first  thing  in  this  letter  that  calls  for  our  attention  is  the 
language  he  uses  towards  the  people  he  calls  ''viilitia  deserters.'' 
That  they  may  be  dealt  with,  he  says,  as  their  crime  merits.  Now  I 
pray  3^ou  who  w^ere  those  people  ?  Doubtless  the  respectable  farm- 
ers and  others  in  the  vicinity  of  Pittsburg.  And  what  does  this 
Mogul  of  the  west  intend  to  do  with  them  ?    Why  hang  them,  to  be 

*  During  the  government  of  Connoly  in  this  place,  he  changed  the 
name  from  Pitt  to  Dunmore  ;  but  subsequent  events  have  blotted  out 
Dunmore's  name. 


JACOB'S  ACCOUNT 


133 


sure  ;  for  this  is  military  law.  But  the  true  state  of  tlr's  case  doubt- 
less is,  that  these  militia  considered  themselves  free  m.en  ;  that  they 
were  not  well  pleased  either  with  Connol}^  or  garrison  duty  ;  that 
viewing  their  countr}^  in  danger,  and  their  wives  and  children  ex- 
posed to  savage  barbarity,  they  preferred  more  active  service,  and 
joined  the  standard  of  Capt.  Cresap,  And  is  this  a  new  thing,  or 
reprehensible  ?  How  often  do  our  militia  enter  into  the  regular  army, 
and  whoever  dreamed  of  hanging  them  for  so  doing? 

But,  secondly,  we  say  it  is  possible  Capt.  Cresap  did  not  know 
from  whence  these  men  came  ;  and  if  he  did,  he  deser\'es  no  cen- 
sure for  receiving  them  ;  and  as  to  the  charge  of  inveigling  away 
the  mnlitia  from  the  garrison,  we  knovv^  this  must  be  positively  false, 
because  he  was  not  in  Pittsburg  in  the  year  1774,  either  personally 
or  by  proxy. 

As  to  the  general  charge  against  Capt.  Cresap,  of  attacking  the 
Indians,  and  the  great  injur}'^  he  had  done  them,  I  need  onlj^  say 
that  this  charge  is  refuted  again  and  again  in  the  course  of  this  his- 
tory, and  its  unparalleled  impudence  especially,  or  the  date  of  this 
letter,  merits  the  deepest  contem.pt.  But  the  most  extraordinary 
feature  in  this  most  extraordinary  letter  is  couched  in  these  words, 
namely,  "  That  the  Indians  relied  upon  the  expressions  of  friendship 
he  niade  them  and  deported  themselves  accordingl}-." 

Be  astonished,  O  ye  nations  of  the  earth,  and  all  3-e  kindreds  of 
people  at  this  !  Por  be  it  remembered  that  this  the  14th  da}-  of  Juh', 
1774,  when  Connoly  has  the  unblushing  impudence  to  assert  that 
the  Indians  relied  ux^on  his  expressions  of  friendship,  and  deported 
themselves  accordingly,  when  at  this  ver}-  time  we  were  engaged  in 
the  hottest  part  of  Dunmore's  war;  when  Dunmore  himself  was 
raising  an  army  and  personally  on  his  wa^'^  to  take  the  command  ; 
when  Lewis  was  on  his  march  from  Augusta  count}^  Virginia,  to 
the  Ohio  River  ;  when  Cornstalk,  with  his  Indian  army,  w^as  in  mo- 
tion to  meet  Lewis  ;  and  when  Capt.  Cresap  was  actually  raising  a 
company  to  join  the  Earl  of  Dunmore  when  he  arrived.  And  it 
was  while  engaged  in  this  business,  that  he  received  this  letter  from 
Connoly. 

Now,  if  any  man  can  account  for  this  strange  and  extraordinary 
letter  upon  rational  principles,  let  him  do  so  if  he  can  ;  he  has  more 
ingenuit}'  and  a  more  acute  discernment  than  I  have. 

Soon  after  receiving  this  letter,  Capt.  Cresap  left  his  company 
on  the  west  side  of  the  mountain  and  rode  home,  where  he  met  the 
Karl  of  Dunmore  at  his  house,  and  where  he  (the  Earl)  remained  a 
few  days  in  habits  of  friendship  and  cordiality  wdth  the  family.  One 
day  while  the  Earl  was  at  his  house,  Capt.  Cresap  finding  him  alone, 
introduced  the  subject  of  Connol3  's  ill-treatment,  with  a  view,  I 
suppose,  of  obtaining  redress,  or  of  exposing  the  character  of  a  man 
he  knew  to  be  high  in  the  estimation  and  confidence  of  the  Earl. 
But  what  effect,  suppose  ye,  had  this  remonstrance  on  the  Earl? 
I'll  tell  you  ;  it  lulled  him  into  a  profound  sleep.    Aye,  eye,  thinks 


134 


OF  DUNMORE'S  WAR. 


I  to  myself,  (j'Oung  as  I  then  was),  this  will  not  do,  captain  ;  there 
are  wheels  within  wheels,  dark  things  behind  the  curtain  between 
this  noble  Karl  and  his  sub-satellite. 

Capt.  Cresap,  was  himself  open,  candid  and  unsuspicious,  and  I 
do  not  know  what  he  thought,  but  I  v/ell  remember  my  own 
thoughts  upon  this  occasion. 

But  let  us,  as  nearly  as  possible,  finish  our  business  with  Con- 
noly,  although  we  must  thereby  get  a  little  ahead  of  our  history  ; 
yet,  as  already  remarked,  we  think  it  less  perplexing  to  the  reader, 
than  to  give  him  here  a  little  and  there  a  little  of  this  extraordin- 
ary character. 

We  find,  then,  that  in  the  year  1775,  Connoly,  discovering  that 
his  sheep-skin  would  not  cover  him  much  longer,  he  threw  off  the 
mask  and  fled  with  his  friend  Dunmore,  who  also,  about  the  same 
time,  was  obliged  to  take  sanctuary  on  board  a  British  ship  of  war 
in  the  Chesapeake  Bay.  From  this  place,  i.  e.  Portsmouth,  Vir- 
ginia, Connoly  wrote  the  following  letter  to  Col.  John  Gibson,  who, 
no  doubt,  he  supposed,  possessed  sentiments  congenial  to  his  own. 
It  happened,  however,  that  he  was  mistaken  in  his  man,  for  Gibson 
exposed  him,  and  put  his  letter  into  the  hands  of  the  commissioners 
who  were  holding  a  treaty  with  the  Indians. 

But  let  us  see  this  letter :  it  is  dated  Portsmouth,  Virginia, 
August  9th,  1775. 

Dear  Sir  :  I  have  safely  arrived  here,  and  am  happy  in  the 
greatest  degree  at  having  so  fortunately  escaped  the  narrow  inspec- 
tion of  my  enemies,  the  enemies  of  their  country's  good  order  and 
government.  I  should  esteem  myself  defective  in  point  of  friend- 
ship towards  you,  should  I  neglect  to  caution  you  to  avoid  an  over- 
zealous  exertion  of  what  is  now  ridiculously  called  patriotic  spirit, 
but  on  the  contrary  to  deport  yourself  with  that  moderation  for 
which  you  have  always  been  so  remarkable,  and  which  must  in  this 
instance  tend  to  your  honor  and  advantage.  You  may  rest  assured 
from  me,  sir,  that  the  greatest  unanimity  now  prevails  at  home,  and 
the  innovating  spirit  among  us  here  is  looked  upon  as  ungenerous 
and  undutiful,  and  that  the  utmost  exertion  of  the  powers  in  govern- 
ment (if  necessar}^)  will  be  used  in  convincing  the  infatuated  people 
of  their  folly. 

"  I  would,  I  assure  yo,u,  sir,  give  you  such  convincing  proofs  of 
what  I  assert,  and  from  which  ever}^  reasonable  person  may  con- 
clude the  effects,  that  nothing  but  madness  could  operate  upon  a 
man  so  far  to  overlook  his  duty  to  the  present  constitution,  and  to 
form  unwarrantable  associations  with  enthusiasts ,  whose  ill-timed 
folly  must  draw  down  upon  them  inevitable  destruction.  His  lord- 
ship desires  you  to  present  his  hand  to  Captain  White-eyes,  (a 
Delaware  Indian  chief)  and  to  assure  him,  he  is  sorry  he  had  not 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  him  at  the  treaty,  (a  treat}^  held  by  Connoly 


JACOB'S  ACCOUNT 


135 


in  his  name),  or  that  the  situation  of  affairs  prevented  him  from 
coming  down. 

Believe  me,  dear  sir,  that  I  have  no  motive  in  writing  my 
sentiments  thus  to  you,  further  than  to  endeavor  to  steer  you  clear 
of  the  misfortunes  which  I  am  confident  must  involve  but  unhappil}^ 
too  many.  I  have  sent  you  an  address  from  the  people  of  Great 
Britain  to  the  people  of  America,  and  desire  you  to  consider  it  atten- 
tively, which  will  I  flatter  myself  convince  you  of  the  idleness  of 
many  determinations  and  the  absurdity  of  an  intended  slavery. 

"  Give  my  love  to  George,  (his  brother,  afterwards  a  colonel  in 
the  Revolutionary  War) ,  and  tell  him  he  shall  hear  from  me,  and  I 
hope  to  his  advantage.  Interpret  the  inclosed  speech  to  Capt. 
White-eyes  from  his  Lordship.  Be  prevailed  upon  to  shun  the  popu- 
lar error,  and  judge  for  yourself,  as  a  good  subject,  and  expect  the 
rewards  due  to  3'Our  services.         "  I  am,  &c., 

''JOHN  CONNOI.Y." 

The  enclosed  speech  to  White-eyes  we  shall  see  in  its  proper 
place,  after  we  have  finished  our  business  with  Connoly.  It  seems, 
then,  that  either  a  mistaken  notion  of  his  influence,  or  greatly  de- 
ceived by  his  calculations  on  the  support  of  Col.  Gibson,  his  brother 
and  friends,  or  in  obedience  to  the  solicitations  of  his  friend  Dun- 
more,  he  undertakes  {incog, ^  a  hazardous  journey  from  the  Chesa- 
peake Bay  to  Pittsburg,  in  company,  if  I  recollect  right,  with  a  cer- 
tain Doctor  Smith  ;  but  our  Dutch  republicans  of  Frederickstown, 
Maryland,  smelt  a  rat,  seized  and  imprisoned  him,  from  whence  he 
was  removed  to  the  Philadelphia  jail,  where  we  will  leave  him 
awhile  to  cool. 

But  let  us  now  look  at  these  two  characters  ;  Connoly  uses 
every  effort  to  destroy  us  and  subvert  our  liberties,  and  Cresap 
marches  to  Boston  with  a  compan}^  of  riflemen  to  defend  his  coun- 
tr)^  If  then  men's  actions  afford  us  the  true  and  best  criterion  to 
judge  of  their  merit  or  demerit,  we  can  be  at  no  loss  to  decide  on 
this  occasion.  Nor  can  there  be  any  doubt  that  this  man,  so  full  of 
tender  sensibility  and  sympathy  for  the  suffering  of  the  Indians, 
when  arrested  with  his  colleague  (Smith)  in  Frederick,  had  a  Pan- 
dora's box  full  of  fire-brands,  arrows  and  death,  to  scatter  among 
the  inhabitants  of  the  west. 

But  it  is  probable  the  reader,  as  w^ell  as  the  writer,  is  weary  of 
such  company  ;  we  therefore  bid  him  adieu,  and  once  more  attend 
his  excellencj'  the  Governor  of  Virginia,  whom  we  left,  I  think,  on 
board  a  British  sloop  of  war,  in  the  Chesapeake  Bay. 

The  reader  has  not  forgotten,  that  we  long  since  stated  it  is  our 
opinion,  that  it  was  probable,  and  that  w*e  had  strong  reasons  to 
believe,  that  Dunmore  himself,  from  political  motives,  though  act- 
ing behind  the  scenes,  was  in  realit}'  at  the  bottom  of  the  Indian 
war  of  1774. 

We  have  already  alluded  to  several  circumstances  previous  to 


1^6 


OF  DUNMORE'S  WAR. 


and  during  that  war  ;  but  we  have  in  reserve  several  more  evincive 
of  the  same  fact  subsequent  to  the  war. 

It  may  be  remembered  that  at  the  treat}^  of  Chillicothe,  it  was 
remarked  that  some  points  were  referred  to  future  discussion  at  Pitts- 
burg, in  the  ensuing  fall  ;  and  it  appears  that  a  treat}^  was  actually 
held  by  Connoly  in  Dunmore's  name,  with  the  chiefs  of  the  Dela- 
ware, and  some  Mingo  tribes  in  tne  summer  ensuing.  This  is  his- 
torically a  fact,  and  m^atter  of  record,  which  I  extract  from  the 
minutes  of  a  treaty,  held  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year,  v/ith  sever- 
al tribes  of  Indians,  by  commissioners  from  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States  and  from  Virginia.  * 

But  to  understand  this  perfectly,  the  reader  must  be  informed, 
that  previous  to  this  treat,  Capt.  Jas.  Wood,  afterward  governor  of 
Virginia,  was  sent  to  that  State  as  the  herald  of  peace,  with  the  olive 
branch  in  his  hand,  to  invite  all  the  Indian  tribes  bordering  on  the 
Ohio  River  and  its  w^aters,  to  a  treaty  at  Pittsburg,  on  the  loth  dsiy 
of  Septem.ber  following.  Capt.  Wood  kept  a  journal,  which  is  in- 
corporated in  the  proceedings  of  the  treaty,  from  which  journal, 
I  copy  as  follovv^s  :  "July  the  9th,  I  arrived  (saj^s  he)  at  Fort  Pitt, 
Vv^here  I  received  information  that  the  chiefs  of  the  Delawares  and  a 
few  of  the  Mingos  had  lately  been  treating  with  Maj.  Connoly  agree- 
ably to  instructions  from  I^ord  Dunmore,  and  that  the  Shawnees  had 
not  come  to  the  treat}^"  &c. 

Capt.  Wood,  however,  acknowledges,  in  a  letter  he  wrote  to  the 
convention  in  Virginia  from  this  place,  that  this  treaty  held  by 
Connoly  was  ' '  in  the  most  open  and  candid  manner,  that  it  v/as  held 
in  the  presence  of  the  committee,  and  that  he  laid  the  Governor's 
instructions  before  them."  Very  good.  But  why  these  remarks 
respecting  Connoly  and  Dunmore  ?  Does  not  this  language  imply 
jealousy  and  suspicion,  which  Capt.  Wood,  who  certainly  w^as  de- 
ceived, was  anxious  to  remove  ?    But  to  proceed.    He  says  : 

"July  10.  White-eyes  came  with  interpreter  to  my  lodging. 
'  He  informed  me  he  was  desirous  of  going  to  Williamsburg  with  Mr. 
Connoly  to  see  Lord  Dunmore,  who  had  promised  him  his  interest 
in  procuring  him  a  grant  from  the  king  for  the  lands  claimed  by  the 
Delawares  ;  that  they  were  all  desirous  of  living  as  the  white  people 
do,  and  under  their  laws  and  protection  ;  that  Lord  Dunmore  had 
engaged  to  make  him  some  satisfaction  for  his  trouble  in  going  sev- 
eral times  to  the  Shawnee  towns,  and  serving  v/ith  him  on  the  cam- 
paign, &c. ,  &c.  He  told  me  he  hoped  I  would  advise  him  whether  it 
was  proper  for  him  to  go  or  not.  I  was  then  under  the  necessity  of 
acquainting  him  with  the  disputes  subsisting  between  Lord  Dunmore 
and  the  people  of  Virginia,  and  engaged,  whenever  the  assembly 


*The  original  minutes  of  this  treaty  are  in  my  own  possession.  They 
were  presented  to  me  by  my  friend,  John  Madison,  Secretary  of  the  Com- 
missioners, with  I  think  this  remark,  that  they  were  of  no  use  them,  but 
might  be  of  some  to  me. 


\ 


JACOB'S  ACCOUNT 


137 


met,  that  I  would  go  with  him  to  Williamsburg,  &c.,  &c.  He  was 
very  thankful,  and  appeared  satisfied." 

The  reader  must  observe  this  is  July  loth,  1775,  and  he  will 
please  refer  to  page  134  and  135,  where  he  will  see  from  Connol3^'s 
letter  of  August  9th,  how  much  reliance  was  to  be  placed  on  his 
candor  and  sincerity,  as  stated  by  Capt.  Wood  to  the  convention  on 
the  9th  day  of  July.  Thus  we  find  that  about  thirty  daj^s  after 
Capt.  Wood's  testimony  in  his  favor,  Connoly  threw  away  the 
mask,  and  presented  himself  in  his  true  character  ;  and  from  his  own 
confession  and  the  tenor  of  his  letter  to  Gibson,  it  is  plain  that 
the  current  of  suspicion  run  so  strongly  against  him  that  he 
declared  himself  ' '  most  happy  in  escaping  the  vigilance  of  his 
enemies." 

We  owe  the  reader  an  apolog}^  for  introducing  this  man  again  ; 
but  the  fact  is  that  Dunmore  and  Connoly  are  so  identified  in  all  the 
political  movements  of  this  period,  that  we  can  seldom  see  one  with- 
out the  other  ;  and  Connoly  is  the  more  prominent  character,  especi- 
ally in  the  affairs  of  the  west. 

But  v/e  now  proceed  with  Capt.  Wood's  journal.  He  tells  us 
that  on  the  20th  of  July,  he  met  Gerritt  Pendergrass  about  nine 
o'clock  ;  that  he  had  just  left  the  Delaware  towns  ;  that  two  da3'S 
before,  the  Delawares  had  just  returned  from  the  Wyandott  towns, 
where  they  had  been  at  a  grand  council  with  a  French  and  English 
officer,  and  the  Wyandotts  ;  that  Monsieur  Baubee  and  the  English 
officer  told  them  to  be  on  their  guard,  that  the  white  people  intended 
to  strike  them  very  soon,  &c. 

July  21.  At  one  o'clock,  arriving  at  the  Moravian  Indian 
town,  examined  the  minister,  (a  Dutchman) ,  concerning  the  coun- 
cil lately  held  with  the  Indians,  &c. ,  who  confirmed  the  account  be- 
fore stated. 

July  22.  About  ten  oclock  arrived  at  Coshocton,  (a  chief  town 
of  the  Delawares),  and  delivered  to  their  council  a  speech,  which 
they  answered  on  the  23d.  After  expressing  their  thankfulness  for 
the  speech  and  willingness  to  attend  the  proposed  treaty  at  Pittsburg, 
they  delivered  to  Capt.  Wood  a  belt  and  string  they  said  was  sent  to 
them  by  an  Englishman  and  Frenchman  from  Detroit,  accompanied 
with  a  message  that  the  people  of  Virginia  were  determined  to  strike 
them  ;  that  they  would  come  upon  them  two  different  ways,  the  one 
by  the  \Na.y  of  the  lakes,  and  the  other  by  the  way  of  the  Ohio  River, 
and  to  take  the  lands,  that  they  must  be  constantly  on  their  guard, 
and  not  to  give  any  credit  to  whatever  you  said,  as  3^ou  were  a 
people  not  to  be  depended  upon  ;  that  the  Virginians  would  invite 
them  to  a  treaty,  but  that  they  must  not  go  at  any  rate,  and  to 
take  particular  notice  of  the  advice  they  gave,  which  proceeded 
from  motives  of  the  real  friendship. 

Now  by  comparing  and  collating  this  with  the  speech  sent  by 
Dunmore,  enclosed  in  Connoly 's  letter,  it  will  furnish  us  with  a 

18 


OF  DUNMORE'S  WAR. 


squinting  at  the  game  that  was  pla3ang  with  the  Indians  by  the 
Barl  of  Dunmore  and  other  British  officers ;  to  be  convinced  of 
which,  read  the  following  speech  from  Dunmore,  which  was  enclosed 
in  a  letter  to  Gibson  : 

"Brother  Capt.  White-eyes,  I  am  glad  to  hear  your  good 
speeches  as  sent  to  me  by  Maj.  Connoly,  and  you  may  be  assured  I 
shall  put  one  end  of  the  belt  you  sent  me  into  the  hands  of  our 
great  king,  who  will  be  glad  to  hear  of  his  brothers  the  Delawares, 
and  will  take  strong  hold  of  it.  You  may  rest  satisfied  that  our 
foolish  young  men  will  never  be  permitted  to  have  your  lands  ;  but 
on  the  contrar}^  the  great  king  will  protect  you,  and  preserve  you  in 
the  possession  of  them. 

"  Our  young  men  in  this  conntr}^  have  been  very  foolish,  and 
done  many  imprudent  things,  for  which  they  must  soon  be  sorry, 
and  of  which  I  make  do  doubt  they  have  acquainted  you  ;  but  must 
desire  you  not  to  listen  to  them,  as  they  would  be  willing  you  should 
act  foolishly  with  themselves  ;  but  rather  let  what  you  hear  pass 
in  at  one  ear  and  out  of  the  other,  so  that  it  may  make  no  impres- 
sion on  your  heart,  until  your  hear  froin  me  fully,  which  shall  be  as 
soon  as  I  can  give  further  information. 

"  Capt.  White-ej^es  will  please  acquaint  the  Cornstalk  with 
these  my  sentiments,  as  well  as  the  chiefs  of  the  Mingos,  and  other 
six  nations. 

(Signed)  ' '  DUNMORE. ' ' 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  remark  here,  that  the  flight  of  Dun- 
more from  Williamsburg,  of  Connoly  from  Pittsburg,  this  speech  of 
Dunmore's,  and  the  speech  of  the  Delawares  to  Capt.  Wood,  are  all 
nearly  cotemporaneous,  and  point  the  reader  pretty  clearly  to  the 
aspect  of  our  aifairs  with  the  Indians  at  this  period.  Dunmore's 
speech,  as  you  have  it  above,  although  pretty  explicit,  as  it 
had  to  pass  through  an  equivocal  medium  ;  but  he  tells  Captain 
White-eyes  he  shall  hear  from  him  "hereafter,"  and  this  "here- 
after" speech  w^as  no  doubt  in  Connoly 's  portmanteau  when  he  was 
arrested  in  Frederick. 

But  to  conclude  this  tedious  chapter,  nothing  more  now  seems 
necessary  than  to  call  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  those  inferences 
that  the  facts  and  circumstances  detailed  in  the  foregoing  pages  seem 
to  warrant. 

The  first  circumstance  in  the  order  of  events  seems  to  be  the 
extraordinary  and  contradictory  conduct  of  Dunmore  and  Connoly 
respecting  Captain  Cresap.  They  certainly  understood  each  other, 
and  had  one  ultimate  end  in  view  ;  yet  w^e  find  on  all  occasions  Dun- 
more treats  Cresap  with  the  utmost  confidence  and  cordiality,  and 
that  Connoly 's  conduct  was  continually  the  reverse,  even  outrage- 
ously insulting  him,  while  under  the  immediate  orders  of  Dunmore 
himself. 


JACOB'S  ACCOUNT 


139 


Second,  we  find  Dunmore  acting  with  duplicitj'  and  deception 
with  Col.  lyCwis  and  his  brigade,  from  Augusta  county.  So  saj^s 
Doddridge. 

Third,  we  find  Capt.  Cresap's  name  foisted  into  Logan's  pre- 
tended speech,  when  it  is  evident,  as  we  shall  hereafter  prove,  that  no 
names  were  at  all  mentioned  in  the  original  speech  made  for  Logan. 

Fourth,  it  appears  pretty  plainly  that  much  pains  were  taken 
b}^  Dunmore,  at  the  treaty  of  Chillicothe,  to  attach  the  Indian  chiefs 
to  his  person,  as  appears  from  the  facts  that  afterwards  appeared. 

Fifth,  the  last  speech  from  Dunmore  to  Capt.  White-eyes  and 
other  Indian  chiefs,  sent  inConnoly's  letter  to  Gibson  ;  to  all  which 
we  may  add,  his  Lordship's  nap  of  sleep  while  Cresap  was  stating 
his  complaints  against  Connoly,  and  all  Connoly's  strange  and  un- 
accountable letters  to  Cresap. 

I  say,  from  all  which  it  will  appear  that  Dunmore  had  his 
views,  and  those  views  hostile  to  the  liberties  of  America,  in  his 
proceedings  with  the  Indians  in  the  war  of  1774,  the  circumstances 
of  the  times,  in  connection  with  his  equivocal  conduct,  leads  us  al- 
most naturally  to  infer  that  he  knew  pretty  well  what  he  was  about, 
and  among  other  things,  he  knew  that  a  war  with  the  Indians  at 
this  time  would  materially  subserve  the  views  and  interest  of  Great 
Britain,  and  consequently  he  perhaps  might  feel  it  a  duty  to  pro- 
mote said  war,  and  if  not,  why  betray  such  extreme  solicitude  to 
single  out  some  conspicuous  character,  and  make  him  the  scape-goat, 
to  bear  all  the  blame  of  this  war,  that  he  and  his  friend  Connoly 
might  escape? 


I40  THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR. 


CHAPTER  XI. 
WAR  OF  THE  REVOLUTION. 

It  is  not  within  the  plan  of  this  work,  to  go  into  a  general 
detail  of  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  The  author  will  only  give  an 
account  of  it  so  far  as  it  is  connected  with  the  immediate  History  of 
the  Valley. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  war  the  late  Daniel  Morgan  was  ap- 
pointed a  captain,  and  very  soon  raised  a  company  of  brave  and 
active  young  men,  with  whom  he  marched  to  join  Gen.  Washington 
at  Boston.  John  Humphrey's  was  Morgan's  first  lieutenant.  Mor- 
gan was  soon  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major,  and  Humphrey's  was 
made  captain.  It  is  believed  this  was  one  of  the  first  regular  com- 
panies raised  in  Virginia,  which  marched  to  the  north.  Morgan 
with  his  company  was  ordered  to  join  Gen.  Montgomery,  and  march 
to  the  attack  on  Quebec  ;  in  which  attack  Montgomery  was  killed, 
and  Morgan,  after  performing  prodigies  of  valor,  compelled  to  sur- 
render himself  and  his  brave  troops  prisoners  of  war.  Capt. 
Humphreys  was  killed  in  the  assault.  The  Reverend  Peter  Muhlen- 
burg,  a  clergyman  of  the  Lutheran  *  profession,  in  the  County  of 
Shenandoah,  laid  off  his  gown  and  took  up  the  sword.  He  was 
appointed  a  colonel,  and  soon  raised  a  regiment,  called  the  eighth, 
consisting  chiefly  of  young  men  of  German  extraction.  Abraham 
Bowman  was  appointed  to  a  majorilty  in  it,  as  was  also  Peter  Hel- 
phinstine,  of  Winchester.  It  was  frequently  called  the  "  German 
regiment."  Muhlenburg  was  ordered  to  the  south  in  1776,  and  the 
unhealthiness  of  the  climate  proved  fatal  to  many  of  his  men. 

James  Wood,  of  Winchester,  w^as  also  appointed  a  colonel.  He 
soon  raised  another  regiment,  marched  to  the  north,  and  joined 
Gen.  Washington's  main  army. 

Maj.  Morgan,  after  several  month's  captivity,  was  exchanged 
together  with  his  troops,  promoted  to  the  rank  of  colonel,  and  again 
joined  his  country's  standard  in  the  northern  army.  Muhlenburg 
returned  from  his  southern  campaign,  and  in  1777  also  joined  the 
northern  army.  He  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general, 
and  Abraham  Bowman  to  the  rank  of  colonel.  Helphinstine  con- 
tracted a  lingering  disease  in  the  south,  returned  home  on  furlough, 
and  died  in  Winchester  in  the  autumn  of  1776.    Col.  Morgan,  with 


*  The  author  is  mistaken  ;  he  was  an  Episcopalian. 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR. 


141 


a  picked  regiment  of  riflemen,  was  ordered  to  join  Gen.  Gates,  to 
meet  and  oppose  Gen.  Burgoyne.  It  is  universally  admitted  that 
Morgan,  with  his  brave  and  expert  rifle  regiment,  contributed  much 
towards  achieving  the  victory  which  followed. 

After  the  capture  of  Burgoyne  and  his  army,  17th  of  October, 
1777,  Morgan,  for  bis  great  personal  bravery,  and  superior  military 
talents  displayed  on  all  occasions,  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
brigadier-general.  He  joined  the  standard  of  Washington,  and  soon 
distinguished  himself  in  harrassing  the  British  army  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Philadelphia. 

Numerous  calls  for  the  aid  of  the  militia  were  made  from  time 
to  time  to  assist  our  country  in  the  defense  of  its  rights  and  liber- 
ties ;  which  calls  were  generally  promptly  obeyed.  The  spirit  of 
patriotism  and  love  of  country  was  the  prevailing  passion  of  a  vast 
majority  of  the  people  of  the  Valley  ;  and  with  one  exception, 
which  will  be  noticed  hereafter,  our  character  was  not  tarnished 
by  anything  like  a  tory  insurrection.  The  author  most  de- 
voutly wishes,  for  the  honor  of  his  native  country,  that  this 
exception  could  be  blotted  out  of  our  history,  and  consigned  to  etern- 
al oblivion. 

Our  Valley,  at  the  commencement  of  the  war,  was  compara- 
tively thinly  populated.  The  first  official  return,  for  the  county  of 
Frederick,  of  the  eft'ective  militia,  to  the  Executive  of  Virginia, 
amounted  only  to  923  ;  the  whole  number  of  people  in  Winchester 
was  800,  probably  a  small  fraction  over.  This  return  and  enumera- 
tion was  made  in  the  j^ear  1777. 

In  1777  Gen.  Sullivan  "  gained  possession  of  some  records  and 
papers  belonging  to  the  Quakers,  which,  with  a  letter,  were  for- 
warded to  Congress,  and  referred  to  a  committee."  On  the  28th  of 
August  the  committee  reported,  **That  the  several  testimonies 
which  have  been  published  since  the  commencement  of  the  present 
contest  betwixt  Great  Britain  and  America,  and  the  uniform  tenor 
of  the  conduct  and  conversation  of  a  number  of  persons  of  consider- 
able wealth,  who  profess  themselves  to  belong  to  the  society  of 
people  commonl}^  called  Quakers,  render  it  certain  and  notorious 
that  those  persons  are  with  much  rancor  and  bitterness  disaffected 
to  the  American  cause  ;  that  as  those  persons  will  have  it  in  their 
power,  so  there  is  no  doubt  it  will  be  their  inclination,  to  communi- 
cate intelligence  to  the  eneni}-,  and  in  various  other  ways  to  injure 
the  councils  and  arms  of  America  ;  that  the  enemy,  in  the  month  of 
December,  1776,  were  bending  their  progress  towards  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  a  certain  seditious  publication,  addressed  '  To  our 
friends  and  brethren  in  religious  profession,  in  these  and  adjacent 
provinces,'  signed  John  Pemberton,  '  in  and  on  behalf  of  the  meeting 
of  sufferers,  held  in  Philadelphia,  for  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey, 
on  the  26th  of  the  12th  month,  1776,'  was  published,  and  as  your 
committee  is  creditably  informed,  circulated  amongst  many  mem- 
bers of  the  society  called  Quakers,  throughout  the  different  States  ; 


142 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR. 


that  the  seditious  paper  aforesaid  orginated  in  Philadelphia,  and  as 
the  persons'  names  who  are  under-mentioned,  have  uniformally 
manifested  a  disposition  highly  inimcial  to  the  cause  of  America  ; 
therefore,  Resolved,  That  it  be  earnestly  recommended  to  the  Su- 
preme Executive  Council  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  forthwith  to 
apprehend  and  secure  the  persons  of  Joshua  Fisher,  Abel  James, 
James  Pemberton,  Henry  Drinker,  Israel  Pemberton,  John  Pember- 
ton,  John  James,  Samuel  Pleasants,  Thomas  Wharton,  Sr., 
Thomas  Fisher,  son  of  Joshua,  and  Samuel  Fisher,  son  of  Joshua, 
together  with  all  such  papers  in  their  possession  as  may  be  of  a  po- 
litical nature. 

' '  And  whereas  there  is  strong  reason  to  apprehend  that  these 
persons  maintain  a  correspondence  and  connection  highly  prejudicial 
to  the  public  safety,  not  only  in  this  State,  but  in  the  several  States 
of  America  ;  Resolved,  That  it  be  recommended  to  the  executive 
powers  of  the  respective  States,  forthwith  to  apprehend  and  secure 
all  persons,  as  v/ell  among  the  Quakers  as  others,  who  have  in  their 
general  conduct  and  conversation  evinced  a  disposition  inimical  to 
the  cause  of  America  ;  and  the  persons  so  seized  be  confined  in  such 
places,  and  treated  in  such  manner,  as  shall  be  consistent  wdth  their 
respective  characters  and  security  of  their  persons  ;  that  the  records 
and  papers  of  the  meetings  of  sufferings  in  the  respective  States, 
be  forthwith  secured  and  carefully  examined,  and  that  such  parts 
of  them  as  ma}^  be  of  a  political  nature,  be  forthwith  transmitted  to 
Congress." 

The  said  report  being  read,  and  several  of  the  paragraphs  con- 
sidered and  debated, and  the  question  put  severally  thereon  the  same 
was  agreed  to.  Ordered,  That  the  board  of  war  remove  under 
guard  to  a  place  of  security  out  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  the  Hon. 
John  Penn,  Esq.,  and  Benjamin  Chew,  Esq.,  and  that  they  give  or- 
ders for  having  them  safely  secured  and  entertained  agreeable  to 
their  rank  and  station  in  life. ' '  A  number  of  Ouakers  besides  those 
mentioned,  and  several  persons  of  a  different  denomination,  were 
taken  by  the  Supreme  Executive  Council  of  Pennsylvania,  concern- 
ing whom  Congress  resolved,  on  the  8th  of  September,  "  That  it  be 
recommended  to  the  said  council  to  order  the  immediate  depar- 
ture of  such  of  said  prisoners  as  refuse  to  swear  or  affirm  allegi- 
ance to  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  to  Staunton,  in  Augusta  county, 
Virginia."  * 

In  conformity  with  the  recommendation  of  Congress,  a  number 
of  Quakers,  together  with  one  druggist  and  a  dancing  master,  were 
sent  to  Winchester  under  guard,  with  a  request  from  the  Executive 
of  Pennsylvania,  directed  to  the  county  lieutenant  of  Frederick,  to 
secure  them.    General  John  Smith  was  then  the  county  lieutenant. 

*  See  Gordon's  History  of  the  American  Revolution,  vol.  ii.  pp.  222, 
223.  It  was  at  the  instance  of  the  late  General  Isaac  Zane,  of  Frederick 
County,  Virginia,  that  the  place  of  exile  was  changed  from  Staunton  to 
Winchester. 


THE  REVOI.UTIONARY  WAR 


143 


When  the  prisoners  \vere  delivered  into  his  custody,  he  proposed  to 
them,  that  if  they  would  pledge  their  honors  not  to  abscond,  they 
should  not  be  placed  in  confinement.  Among  the  prisoners  were 
three  of  the  Pembertons,  two  of  tne  Fishers,  an  old  Quaker  preacher 
named  Hunt  and  several  others,  amounting  in  all  to  twelve,  and  with 
the  druggist  and  dancing  master,  fourteen.  One  of  the  Fisher's  was 
a  lawyer  by  profession.  He  protested  in  his  ovvn  name,  and  on  be- 
half of  his  fellow  prisoners,  against  being  taken  into  custody  by 
Col.  SmitliJ;  stated  that  they  had  protested  against  being  sent  from 
Philadelphia  ;  that  they  had  again  protested  at  the  Pennsylvania 
line,  against  being  taken  out  of  the  State  ;  had  repeated  their  pro- 
test at  the  Maryland  line,  against  being  taken  into  Virginia  ;  that 
there  was  no  existing  law  which  justified  their  being  deprived  of 
their  liberty,  and  exiled  from  their  native  homes  and  families,  and 
treated  as  criminals.  To  which  Col.  Smith  replied,  "It  is  true  that 
I  know  of  no  existing  law  which  will  justif}^  your  detention  ;  but  as 
you  are  sent  to  m}^  care  by  the  supreme  executive  authority  of  your 
native  State,  and  represented  as  dangerous  characters  and  as  having 
been  engaged  in  treasonable  practices  with  the  enemy,  I  consider  it 
my  duty  to  detain  you,  at  least  until  I  can  send  an  express  to  the 
Governor  of  Virginia  for  his  advice  and  direction  what  to  do  in  the 
premises."  He  accordingly  dispatched  an  express  to  Williamsburg, 
with  a  letter  to  the  governor,  who  soon  returned  with  the  orders  of 
the  executive  to  secure  the  prisoners.  Col.  Smith  again  repeated 
that  "  if  they  would  pledge  themselves  not  to  abscond,  he  would 
not  cause  them  to  be  confined."  Upon  which  one  of  the  Pem- 
bertons spoke  and  observed  to  Fisher,  "that  /it's  protest  was  un- 
availing, and  that  they  must  patiently  submit  to  their  fate." 
Then  addressing  himself  to  CoL  Smith,  he  observed,  "  the}' would 
not  enter  into  any  pledges,  and  he  must  dispose  of  them  as  he 
thought  proper. ' '  The  colonel  then  ordered  them  to  be  placed  under 
guard. 

Shortly  before  this,  three  hundred  Hessian  prisoners  had  been 
sent  to  Winchester ;  there  was  consequently  a  guard  ready  pre- 
pared to  receive  these  exiles,  and  the}'  remained  in  custody  about 
eight  or  nine  months  ;  during  which  time  two  of  them  died,  and 
the  whole  of  theln  became  much  dejected  ;  and  is  probable  more  of 
them  would  have  died  of  broken  hearts,  had  they  not  been  permitted 
to  return. 

Some  time  after  the  British  left  Philadelphia,  the  exiles  em- 
ployed the  late  Alexander  White,  Esq.,  a  lawyer  near  Winchester, 
for  which  they  paid  him  one  hundred  pounds  Virginia  currency  in 
gold  coin,  to  go  to  Philadelphia,  and  negotiate  with  the  executive 
authority  of  the  State  to  permit  them  to  return  to  their  families  and 
friends  ;  in  which  negotiation  White  succeeded  ;  and  to  the  great  joy 
and  heartfelt  satisfaction  of  these  captives,  they  returned  to  their  na- 
tive homes. 

In  the  absence  of  the  exiles,  Sir  William  Howe,  the  Eritish 


144 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR. 


General,  had  taken  up  his  headquarters  in  John  Pemberton's  dwell- 
ing house.  It  was  a  splendid  building,  and  had  been  much  abused 
by  the  British,  who  also  occupied  several  other  houses  belonging  to 
Pemberton,  w^hich  were  much  injured.  Peniberton  ov/ned  an  ele- 
gant carriage,  which  Sir  William  had  taken  the  liberty  of  using  in 
his  parties  of  pleasure.  When  Pemberton  saw  the  situation  of  his 
property,  he  obtained  permission  from  the  proper  authoritj^  and 
waited  on  Sir  William  Howe,  and  demanded  indemnification  for  the 
injurv^  done  his  buildings  and  carriage.  The  plain  and  independent 
language  he  used  to  the  British  General  on  the  subject,  was  remark- 
able for  its  bluntness,  as  it  w^as  for  its  fearless  character.  "Thee 
has  (said  he)  done  gread  damage  to  my  buildings,  and  thee  suffered 
thy  w^*^*s  to  ride  in  my  carriage,  and  m}^  wife  will  not  use  it  since; 
thee  must  pa}'  me  for  the  injur}^,  or  I  will  go  to  thy  master  (mean- 
ing the  king  of  England),  and  lay  my  complaint  Wfore  him."  Sir 
William  could  but  smile  at  the  honest  bluntness  of  the  man  and 
thought  it  best  to  compromise  and  pay  him  a  sum  of  money,  which 
the  old  Quaker  was  satisfied.* 

In  1779  there  w^as  a  considerable  increase  of  British  prisoners  at 
Winchester,  and  in  1780  barracks  were  erected  about  four  miles  w^est 
of  the  the  town,  to  which  the  prisoners  were  removed,  and  a  regular 
guard  kept  over  them.  In  1781  the  number  of  prisoners  increased 
to  about  1600. 

It  w^as  in  this  year  the  month  of  January,  that  Gen.  Morgan, 
at  the  battle  of  the  Cowpens,  in  South  Carolina,  gave  the  British 
Col.  Tarlton  a  most  signal  defeat.  In  this  action  Morgan  displayed 
the  most  consummate  military  skill  and  braver}^  Whilst  the  two 
armies  were  closely  engaged,  Morgan,  discovering  the  enemy  w^ere 
thrown  into  some  confusion,  called  out  in  his  usual  stentorian 
voice,  "Hurrah,  my  brave  boys  !  another  close  fire,  and  the  day  is 
ours.  Remembe7' ,  Morgan  has  never  been  beaten  !  ' '  The  author 
cannot  now  recollect  his  authority  for  this  statement,  but  he  has  re- 
peatedly^ heard  it  asserted  by  different  individuals  who  were  acquaint- 
ed wdth  the  fact. 

In  the  year  1813  the  author  traveled  through  South  Carolina, 
and  called  to  see  Mr.  William  Calmes,  with  whom  he  had  intimate 
acquaintance  when  quite  a  youth,  having  been  a  school-fellow  in  this 
county  (Frederick).  Mr.  Calmes  was  well  acquainted  w4th  Gen. 
Morgan,  and  related  the  following  anecdote,  in  relation  to  Morgan 
and  Tarleton. 

There  were  two  brothers  by  the  name  of   ,  citizens  of 

South  Carolina,  men  of  considerable  wealth  and  respectability,  who 
joined  the  British  standard,  and  both  obtained  Colonel's  commisions. 
One  of  them  was  at  Comwallis's  headquarters  the  day  Tarlton  set 
out  determined  to  take  Morgan  at  all  hazard.  Meeting  with  Col. 
 ,  he  accosted  him  to  the  following  effect :  "  Well,  Colonel,  if 


*Gen.  John  Smith  detailed  the  foregoing  particulars  to  the  author. 


THE  REVOIvUTlONARY  WAR. 


145 


you  will  be  at  his  Lordship's  headquartfe,  (naming  the  day),  you 
shall  have  the  pleasure  of  dining  with  the  old  wagoner. ' '    To  which 

Col.   replied,  "  I  wish  you  success.  Col.  Tarlton,  but  permit 

me  to  caution  you  ;  you  will  find  Morgan  hard  to  take. ' '  On  which 
Tarlton  flew  into  a  passion,  and  threatened  to  arrest  the  Colonel  for 
using  such  language  in  the  hearing  of  his  officers.  The  latter  calm- 
ly replied,  "  Col.  Tarleton,  I  have  staked  everything  dear  to  me  in 
this  life  upon  the  issue  of  the  present  contest.  I  own  a  fine  estate. 
My  family  and  my  personal  liberty  are  in  danger.  If  America  suc- 
ceeds in  establishing  her  independence,  my  estate  will  be  forfeited, 
my  family  reduced  to  beggary  and  the  least  I  can  expect,  (if  I  es- 
cape with  my  life) ,  will  be  perpetual  exile.  Hence,  sir,  I  most  ar- 
dently wish  you  success.  But  permit  me  to  again  caution  you. 
Morgan  is  a  cunning,  artful  ofiicer,  and  you  will  find  him  hard  to 
take."  Tarlton,  however,  pushed  off  in  high  glee,  determined  at 
every  risk  to  capture  Morgan  and  his  little  band  of  warriors.  The 
result  was  soon  known  at  his  Lordship's  headquarters  ;  and  it  so  hap- 
pened, when  Tarlton  returned.    Col.    was  present.  The 

moment  Tarlton  saw  him  he  apologized  to  him  for  the  harsh  lan- 
guage he  used  towards  him,  and  exclaimed,      By  !  Morgan 

is  truly  a  great  man  ! ' '  This  extorted  praise  from  this  haughty 
British  oJB&cer  speaks  volumes  for  the  high  military  talent  of  General 
Morgan. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  this  refugee  colonel  took  shelter  for 
himself  and  family  in  the  British  dominions  of  Canada,  and  his  fine 
estate  was  confiscated.  He,  however,  petitioned  the  government 
of  South  Carolina  ;  and  from  his  general  good  charcter  in  private 
life,  an  act  of  pardon,  together  with  the  restoration  of  his  estate, 
was  passed,  an  he  returned  to  its  enjoyment  with  all  the  privileges 
of  a  free  citizen.  After  his  return  Mr.  Calmers  became  acquainted 
with  him,  and  received  the  above  statement  of  facts  from  him. 

The  brother  of  this  officer,  from  some  acts  of  ferocious  cruelty 
practiced  upon  the  friends  of  the  American  cause,  had  his  estate  also 
confiscated.  The  government  refused  to  restore  it,  and  passed  an 
act  of  perpetual  banishment  against  him. 

In  1 78 1  Cornwallis  entered  Virginia  at  the  head  of  a  large  army, 
and  in  the  month  of  June  a  party  of  tories  raised  the  British  stand- 
,  ard  at  Lost  River,  then  in  the  county  of  Hampshire  (now  Hardy). 
John  Clay  pole,  a  Scotsman  by  birth,  and  his  two  sons,  were  at  the 
head  of  the  insurrection,  *  Clay  pole  had  the  address  to  draw  over 
to  his  party  a  considerable  majority  of  the  people  on  Lost  River,  and 
a  number  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Wappatomaka.  They  first 
manifested  symptoms  of  rebellion  by  refusing  to  pay  their  taxes  and 

*  Moses  Russell,  Esq.,  informed  the  author,  that  it  was  reported  and 
believed  at  the  time  that  Claypole's  two  sons  went  to  North  Carolina,  and 
had  an  interview  with  Lord  Cornwallis,  who  appointed  and  commissioned 
them  both  captains  in  the  British  service,  and  sent  the  commission  of  colonel 
to  their  father. 


19 


146  THE  REVOIvUTlONARY  WAR. 


refusing  to  furnish  their  quota  of  men  to  serve  in  the  militia.  The 
sheriffs,  or  collectors  of  the  revenue,  complained  to  Col.  Vanmeter, 
of  the  County  of  Hampshire,  that  they  were  resisted  in  their  at- 
tempts to  discharge  their  official  duties,  when  the  colonel  ordered  a 
captain  and  thirty  men  to  their  aid.  The  insurgents  armed  them- 
selves, and  determined  to  resist.  Among  them  was  John  Drake,  a 
German  of  considerable  wealth,  who  resided  about  fifteen  miles 
above  Moorefield,  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  River,  and  whose 
house  became  the  place  of  rendezvous  for  the  insurgents.  When 
the  Sheriff  went  up  with  the  militia  posse,  fifty  men  appeared  in 
arms.  The  posse  and  tories  unexpectedly  met  in  the  public  road. 
Thirty-five  of  the  latter  broke  and  ran  about  one  hundred  yards,  and 
then  formed,  while  fifteen  stood  firm.  The  captain  of  the  guard 
called  out  for  a  parley,  when  a  free  conversation  took  place,  in  which 
this  dangerous  proceeding  on  the  part  of  the  tories  was  pointed  out, 
with  the  terrible  consequences  which  must  inevitably  follow.  It  is 
said  that  had  a  pistol  been  fired,  a  dreadful  scene  of  carnage  would 
have  ensued.  *  The  two  parties,  however,  parted  without  blood- 
shed. But  instead  of  the  tory  party  retiring  to  their  respective  homes 
and  attending  to  their  domestic  duties  the  spirit  of  insurrection  in- 
creased. They  began  to  organize,  appointed  ofl&cers,  and  made 
John  Claypole  their  commander-in-chief,  with  the  intention  of  march- 
ing off  in  a  body  to  Cornwallis,  in  the  event  of  his  advancing  into 
the  Valley  or  near  it. 

Several  expresses  were  sent  to  Col.  Smith,  requesting  the  aid  of 
the  militia,  in  the  counties  immediately  adjoining,  to  quell  this  re- 
bellion. He  addressed  letters  to  the  commanding  officers  of  Berke- 
ley and  Shenandoah,  beat  up  volunteers  in  Frederick,  and  in  a  few 
days  an  army  of  four  hundred  rank  and  file  were  well  mounted  and 
equipped.  Gen.  Morgan,  who,  after  the  defeat  of  Tarlton  and  some 
other  military  services,  had  obtained  leave  of  absence  from  the  army, 
and  was  now  reposing  on  his  farm  (Saratoga)  in  Frederick,  and 
whose  name  was  a  host  in  itself,  was  solicited  to  take  the  command, 
with  which  he  readily  complied.  About  the  1 8th  or  20th  of  June  the 
army  marched  from  Winchester,  and  in  two  days  arrived  in  the 
neighborhood  of  this  tory  section  of  Hardy  county.  They  halted  at 
Claypole' s  house,  f  and  took  him  prisoner.  Several  young  men 
fled,  among  them  William  Baker.  As  he  ran  across  Clay  pole's  mea- 
dow he  was  hailed  and  ordered  to  surrender ;  but  disregarding  the 
command,  Capt.  Abraham  Byrd,  of  Shenandoah  county,  an  ex- 
cellent marksman,  raised  his  rifle,  fired,  and  wounded  him  in  the 
leg.  X    He  fell,  and  several  of  Morgan's  party  went  to  him  to 

*  Isacc  Vanmeter,  Esq.,  then  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  was  one  of  the 
posse,  and  related  these  fact  to  the  author. 

f  Claypole's  former  residence  is  now  owned  by  Mr.  Miller,  and  is  about 
forty-five  or  fifty  miles  southwest  of  Winchester,  on  Lost  River  in  Hardy  . 
county. 

i  The  spot  was  pointed  out  to  the  author,  by  Mr.  Mr.  Miller,  where  Byrd 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR. 


147 


see  the  result.  The  ball  had  penetrated  just  above  the  heel, 
ranged  up  the  leg,  and  shivered  the  bone.  As  the  poor  fellow 
begged  for  mercy,  he  was  taken  to  the  house,  and  his  wound 
dressed  by  the  surgeon  of  the  regiment.  He  recovered,  and  is  still 
living.  They  took  from  Claypole  provisions  for  themselves  and 
horses  ;  Col.  Smith  (who  was  second  in  command)  giving  him  a 
certificate  for  their  value. 

From  Claypole' s  the  army  moved  up  Lost  River,  and  some 
young  men  in  the  advance  took  a  man  named  Matthias  Wilkins 
prisoner,  placed  a  rope  round  his  neck,  and  threatened  to  hang  him. 
Col.  Smith  rode  up,  saw  what  was  going  on,  and  ordered  them  in- 
stantly to  desist.  They  also  caught  a  man  named  John  Payne,  and 
branded  him  on  the  posteriors  with  a  red  hot  spade,  telling  him 
they  would  make  him  a  freemason.  Claypole  solemnly  promised  to 
be  of  good  behavior,  gave  bail  and  was  set  at  liberty. 

The  army  thence  crossed  the  South  Branch  Mountain.  On  or 
near  the  summit  they  saw  a  small  cabin,  which  had  probably  been 
erected  by  some  hunters.  Gen.  Morgan  ordered  it  to  be  surround- 
ed, observing,  "It  is  probable  some  of  the  tories  are  now  in  it."  As 
the  men  approached  the  cabin,  ten  or  a  dozen  fellows  ran  out  and 
fled.  An  elderly  man  named  Mace,  and  two  of  his  sons,  were  among 
them.  Old  Mace,  finding  himself  closely  pursued,  surrendered. 
One  of  the  pursuers  was  Capt.  William  Snickers,  an  aid-de-camp  of 
Morgan,  who  being  mounted  on  a  fine  horse,  was  soon  alongside  of 
him.  One  of  Mace's  sons  looking  round  at  this  instant,  and  seeing 
Snickers  aiming  a  blow  with  a  drawn  sword  at  his  father,  drew  up 
his  rifle  and  fired  at  him.  The  ball  passed  threw  the  crest  of  his 
horse's  neck  ;  he  fell,  and  threw  the  rider  over  his  head.  Snickers 
was  at  first  thought  by  his  friends  to  be  killed  ;  and  in  the  excite- 
ment of  the  moment,  an  Irishman,  half  drunk,  who  had  been  with 
Morgan  for  some  time  as  waiter,  and  had  seen  much  tory  blood  shed 
in  the  Carolinas,  ran  up  to  the  prisoner  (Mace)  with  a  cocked  pistol 
in  his  hand,  and  shot  the  poor  man,  who  fell  and  instantly-  expired. 
Capt.  Snickers  soon  recovered  from  the  bruises  received  in  the  fall, 
as  did  his  horse  also  from  the  wound  in  his  neck. 

The  army  proceeded  to  pa}^  their  respects  to  Mr.  John  Brake, 
an  old  German,  who  had  a  fine  farm  with  extensive  meadows,  a  mill, 
large  distillery,  and  many  fat  hogs  and  cattle.  He  was  an  exception 
in  his  political  course,  to  his  countrymen,  as  they  were  almost  to  a 
man,  true  whigs,  and  friends  to  their  country.  Brake,  as  before  ob- 
served, had  joined  the  tory  band,  and  his  house  was  their  place  of 
rendezvous,  where  they  feasted  on  the  best  he  had.  All  this  ap- 
pearing unquestionable,  Morgan  marched  his  army  to  his  residence, 
they  halted,  and  spent  two  days  and  nights  with  his  reluctant 
host.    His  troops  lived  on  the  best  in  his  fine  firm,  mill  and  dis- 


stood  when  he  fired  at  Baker,  and  where  Baker  fell.  The  distance  is  about 
four  hundred  yards. 


148  THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR. 


tillery  afforded,  feasting  on  his  pigs,  fatted  calves,  young  beeves, 
lambs,  poultry,  &c.,  while  their  horses,  fared  no  less  luxuriously 
upon  his  fine  unmowed  meadows,  oat  fields,  &c.  As  Brake  had  en- 
tertained and  feasted  the  tories,  Morgan  concluded  that  he  should 
feast  them  in  turn. 

The  third  day,  in  the  morning,  the  army  moved  on  down  the 
river,  passed  by  Moorefield,  and  returned  to  Winchester,  where  it 
was  disbanded,  after  a  service  of  only  about  eight  or  ten  days.  Thus 
was  this  tory  insurrection  crushed  in  the  bud.  The  party  them- 
selves became  ashamed  of  their  conduct,  and  in  some  degree  to  atone 
for  it,  and  wipe  off  the  stain,  several  of  the  young  men  volunteered 
their  services  and  marched  to  aid  in  the  capture  of  Cornwallis. 

Within  three  or  four  days  after  these  men  were  disbanded,  two 
expresses  in  one  day  arrived  at  Winchester, and  informed  Col.  Smith 
that  Tarlton  was  on  his  way  to  rescue  the  British  prison- 
ers at  Winchester  barracks.  Col.  Smith  had  again  to  call  out  the 
militia,  and  ordered  four  hundred  men  as  a  guard,  removed  the 
prisoners  to  Fort  Frederick,  in  Maryland,  at  which  place  they  re- 
mained to  the  end  af  the  war.  * 

The  summer  of  1781  was  emphatically  the  summer  of  militia 
campaigns.  There  were  frequent  alarms  that  Tarlton  and  his  legion 
(of  devils,  some  people  termed  them) ,  were  on  their  way  to  visit  our 
Valley  ;  and  sometimes  it  was  reported  that  Cornwallis  and  his  whole 
army  would  be  upon  us.  The  militia  was  almost  constantly  march- 
ing and  counter-marching. 

It,  however,  pleased  Heaven  to  so  order  things,  that  Cornwallis 
and  his  large  army  should  be  entrapped  and  captured  at  York- 
town,  in  Virginia.  This  put  an  end  to  the  scourge  of  the  war  ;  and 
our  people  being  permitted  to  enjoy  the  blessings  of  peace  and  agri- 
culture, commerce  and  the  mechanical  arts,  improved  in  a  most  as- 
tonishing degree.  The  French  and  British  armies  circulated 
immense  sums  of  money,  in  gold  and  silver  coin,  which  had  the 
effect  of  driving  out  of  circulation  the  wretched  paper  currency 
which  had  till  then  prevailed.  Immense  quantities  of  British  and 
French  goods  were  soon  imported  ;  our  people  imbibed  a  taste  for 
foreign  fashion  and  luxury  ;  and  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  years, 
from  the  close  of  the  war,  such  an  entire  change  had  taken  place  in 
the  habits  and  manners  of  our  inhabitants,  that  it  almost  appeared 
as  if  we  had  suddenly  become  a  different  nation.  The  staid  and 
sober  habits  of  our  ancestors,  with  their  plain  home-manufactured 
clothing,  were  suddenly  laid  aside,  and  European  goods  of  fine 
quality  adopted  in  their  stead.  Fine  ruffles,  powdered  heads,  silks 
and  scarlets,  decorated  the  men  ;  while  the  most  costly  silks,  satins, 
chintzes,  calicoes,  muslins,  &c.,  decorated  our  females.  Nor  was 
their  diet  less  expensive  ;  for  superb  plate,  foreign  spirits,  wines, 

*  Gen.  John  Smith  communicated  all  the  particulars  of  the  foregoing 
narrative  to  the  author,  with  the  exception  of  branding  Payne  with  the 
spade  ;  this  fact  was  stated  by  Mr.  Chrisman  on  Lost  River. 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR 


149 


&c. ,  sparkled  on  the  sideboards  of  many  farmers.  The  natural  re- 
sult of  this  change  of  the  habits  and  customs  of  the  people— 
this  aping  of  European  manners  and  morals — was  to  suddenly  drain 
our  country  of  its  circulating  specie  ;  and  as  a  necessary  conse- 
quence, the  people  ran  in  debt,  times  became  difficult,  and  money 
had  to  raise. 

The  sufferings  and  hard  dealings  with  the  Quakers  deserve  some 
notice  in  this  place.  The  unfortunate  proceedings  of  the  Philadel- 
phia Quakers  drew  down  upon  the  whole  order  the  strong  preju- 
dices and  even  hatred  of  the  friends  to  the  American  cause.  The 
treasonable  proceedings  of  a  few  individuals  ought  not  to  have  been 
visited  upon  the  whole  order  of  Quakers.  It  must  be  admitted, 
that  this  proceeding  was  a  great  blot  upon  Quaker  character,  and 
stamped  the  individuals  concerned  in  it>  with  base  hypocrisy,  and 
gave  the  lie  to  their  religious  professions.  Whilst  the}^  professed  to 
hold  it  unlawful  to  shed  human  blood  ;  whilst  they  disclaimed  all 
concern  with  the  war  ;  they  were  secretly  giving  intelligence  to  the 
enemy,  and  aiding  and  abetting  them  in  every  way  they  could  ex- 
cept resorting  to  arms.  But  it  is  again  repeated  that  it  was  unjust 
with  one  fell  sweep  to  condemn  the  whole  order,  for  the  malconduct 
of  a  few  individuals.  The  Quakers  in  the  Valley,  notwithstanding 
their  entire  neutrality,  were  unquestionably  the  greatest  sufferers 
by  the  war.  They  refused  to  bear  arms,  they  refused  to  pay  war 
taxes,  and  hence  the  sheriffs  or  collectors  were  compelled  todestrain 
and  sell  their  property  to  raise  their  respective  proportion  of  the  pub- 
lic burdens. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  war,  attempts  were  made  to  compel 
them  to  bear  arms,  and  serve  in  the  militia  ;  but  it  was  soon  found 
unavailing.  They  would  not  perform  any  military  duty  required  of 
them  ;  not  even  the  scourge  would  compel  them  to  submit  to  discip- 
line. The  practice  of  coercion  was  therefore  abandoned,  and  the 
Legislature  enacted  a  law  to  levy  a  tax  upon  their  property  to  hire 
substitutes  to  perform  military  duty  in  their  stead.  This,  with  other 
taxes,  bore  peculiarly  heavy  upon  them.  Their  personal  property 
was  sold  under  the  hammer  to  raise  these  public  demands  ;  and  before 
the  war  was  over,  many  of  them  were  reduced  to  great  distress  in 
their  pecuniary  circumstances. 

There  is  an  amusing  story  told  of  James  Gotharp,  who  resided 
on  Apple-pie  Ridge.  He  was  forced  to  march  with  a  militia  com- 
pany, and  on  one  particular  occasion  was  placed  as  sentry  at  a  bag- 
gage wagon,  with  orders  to  suffer  no  man  to  go  into  the  wagon 
without  a  written  order  from  the  commanding  officer.  One  of  the 
officers  walked  to  the  wagon  to  go  in,  Gotharp  demanded  his  written 
authority,  the  officer  cursed  him  and  stepped  upon  the  houns  of  the 
wagon.  Gotharp  seized  him  by  his  legs  and  pulled  his  feet  off  the 
houns.  The  officer  fell  with  his  face  upon  the  houns  and  had  his 
nose  and  mouth  sorely  bruised. 

This  selling  of  Quaker's  property  afforded  great  opportunity  for 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR. 


designing  individuals  to  make  profitable  speculations.  They  con- 
tinued to  refuse  to  pay  taxes  for  several  years  after  the  war,  holding  it 
unlawful  to  contribute  their  money  towards  discharging  the  war 
debt.  This  being  at  length  adjusted,  no  part  of  our  citizens  pay 
their  public  demands  with  more  punctuality,  (except  their  muster 
fines  which  they  still  refused  to  pay).  Owing  to  their  industrious 
and  sober  habits,  they  soon  recovered  from  their  pecuniary  distress 
produced  by  the  war,  and  are  generally  speaking  the  most  independ- 
ent part  of  our  community.  Vast  numbers  of  them  have  migrated 
to  the  western  country  and  several  of  their  meetings  are  entirely 
broken  up.  There  is,  however,  still  a  considerable  number  of  them 
in  the  counties  of  Frederick  and  Berkeley.  They  continue  their  an- 
cient practice  of  depending  upon  their  household  manufactures  for 
their  clothing  ;  and  it  was  a  long  time  before  they  gave  into  the 
practice  of  purchasing  European  goods.  A  few  of  them  entered 
into  the  mercantile  business  ;  several  others  erected  fine  merchant 
mills ;  others  engaged  in  mechanical  pursuits ;  but  the  great  body 
of  them  are  farmers,  and  are  generally  most  excellent  cultivators  of 
the  soil. 

The  greater  part  of  the  Germans,  also,  were  a  long  time  de- 
pendent upon  their  domestic  manufactures  for  their  clothing  ; 
but  they,  too,  have  imbibed  a  taste  for  foreign  finery.  They, 
however,  have  managed  to  effect  their  purchases  by  bartering, 
in  a  remarkable  degree,  their  own  household  manufactures  in  ex- 
change. 

Some  three  or  four  years  ago  the  author  called  at  the  house  of 
a  farmer  in  the  southwest  part  of  Shenandoah  countj^  where  he 
saw  five  spinning  wheels  at  work.  The  old  lady,  three  of  her 
daughters,  and  a  hired  girl,  were  busily  engaged  in  spinning  finely 
prepared  hemp.  The  author  enquired  of  the  old  lady,  whether  she 
sold  any  part  of  her  domestic  goods.  To  which  she  replied,  ' '  Yes  ; 
when  de  gals  wants  to  puy  some  fine  dings  in  de  sthore,  dey  bay  for 
it  in  linen  und  linsey ;  und  I  puy  sugar  and  goffee,  und  salt,  and 
any  dings  we  wants,  und  I  bay  for  it  all  in  our  own  coods." 

The  author  stopped  at  a  neighboring  house,  and  inquired  of  the 

inmates  how  their  neighbor  I   got  along.    "O,"  replied  the 

man,  Mr.  I.  buys  a  plantation  every  four  or  five  years,  and  always 
pays  the  money  down." 


THE  PRIMITIVE  SETTLERS. 


CHAPTER  Xn. 

MODE  OF  LIVING  OF  THE  PRIMITIVE  SETTI.ERS. 

The  first  houses  erected  by  the  primitive  settlers  were  log  cabins, 
with  covers  of  split  clapboards,  and  weight  poles  to  keep  them  in 
place.  They  were  frequently  seen  with  earthen  floors  ;  or  if  wood 
floors  were  used,  they  were  made  of  split  puncheons,  a  little 
smoothed  with  the  broad-axe.  These  houses  were  pretty  generally 
in  use  since  the  author's  recollection.  There  were,  however, 
a  few  framed  and  stone  buildings  erected  previous  to  the  war 
of  the  revolution.  As  the  country  improved  in  population  and 
wealth,  there  was  a  corresponding  improvement  in  the  erection  of 
buildings. 

When  this  improvement  commenced,  the  most  general  mode  of 
buildings  was  with  hewen  logs,  a  shingle  roof  and  plank  floor,  the 
plank  cut  out  with  a  whip  saw.  As  it  is  probable  some  of  my  young 
readers  have  never  seen  a  whip  saw,  a  short  description  of  it  may 
not  be  uninteresting.  It  was  about  the  length  of  the  common  mill 
saw,  with  a  handle  at  each  end  transversely  fixed  to  it.  The  timber 
intended  to  be  sawed  was  first  squared  with  a  broad-axe,  and  then 
raised  on  a  scaffold  six  or  seven  feet  high.  Two  able  bodied  men 
took  hold  of  the  saw,  one  standing  on  the  top  of  the  log  and  the 
other  under  it,  and  commenced  sawing.  The  labor  was  excessively 
fatiguing,  and  about  one  hundred  feet  of  plank  or  scantling  was 
considered  a  good  day's  work  for  the  two  hands.  The  introduction 
of  saw  mills,  however,  soon  superseded  the  use  of  the  w^hip-saw,  but 
they  were  not  entirely  laid  aside  until  several  years  after  the  War  of 
the  Revolution. 

The  dress  of  the  early  settlers  were  of  the  plainest  material — 
generally  of  their  own  manufacture;  and  if  a  modern  "belle"  or 
'  *  beau' '  were  now  to  witness  the  extreme  plainess  and  simplicity  of 
their  fashions,  the  one  would  almost  be  thrown  into  a  fit  of  histerics, 
and  the  other  frightened  at  the  odd  and  grotesques  appearance  of 
their  progenitors. 

Previous  to  the  war  of  the  revolution  the  married  men  generally 
shaved  their  heads,  and  either  wore  wigs  or  white  linen  caps.  When 
the  war  commenced,  this  fashion  was  laid  aside,  partly  from  patriotic 
considerations  and  partly  from  necessitj- .  Owing  to  the  entire  in- 
terruption of  the  intercourse  with  England,  wigs  could  not  easily  be 
obtained,  nor  white  linen  for  caps. 


152 


THE  PRIMITIVE  SETTI^ERS. 


The  men's  coats  were  generally  made  with  broad  backs,  and 
straight  short  skirts,  with  pockets  on  the  outside  having  large  flaps. 
The  waistcoats  had  skirts  nearly  half  way  down  to  the  knees,  and 
very  broad  pocket  flaps.  The  breeches  were  so  short  as  barely  to 
reach  the  knee,  with  a  band  surrounding  the  knee,  fastened  with 
either  brass  or  silver  buckles.  The  stocking  was  drawn  up  under 
the  knee-band,  and  tied  with  a  garter,  (generally  red  or  blue)  below 
the  knee,  so  as  to  be  seen.  The  shoes  were  of  coarse  leather,  with 
straps  to  the  quarters,  and  fastened  with  either  brass  or  silver  buck- 
les. The  hat  was  either  wool  or  fur,  with  a  round  crown  not  ex- 
ceeding three  or  four  inches  high,  with  a  broad  brim.  *  The  dress 
for  the  neck  was  usually  a  narrow  collar  to  the  shirt,  with  a  w^hite 
linen  stock  drawn  together  at  the  ends,  on  the  back  of  the  neck, 
with  a  broad  metal  buckle.  The  more  wealthy  and  fashionable  were 
sometimes  seen  with  their  stock,  knee  and  shoe-buckles,  set  either  in 
gold  or  silver  with  brilliant  stones.  The  author  can  recollect,  when 
a  child,  if  he  happened  to  see  any  of  those  finely  dressed  "great 
folk,"  as  they  were  then  termed,  he  felt  awed  with  their  presence, 
and  viewed  them  as  something  more  than  man. 

The  female  dress  w^as  generally  the  short  gown  and  petticoat 
made  of  the  plainest  materials.  The  German  women  mostly  wore 
tight  calico  caps  on  their  heads,  and  in  the  summer  season  they  were 
generally  seen  with  no  other  clothing  than  a  linen  shift  and  petticoat 
— the  feet,  hands,  and  arms  were  bare.  In  hay  and  harvest  time, 
they  joined  the  men  in  the  labor  of  the  meadow  and  grain  fields. 
This  custom,  of  the  females  laboring  in  the  time  of  harvest,  was  not 
exclusively  a  German  practice,  but  was  common  to  all  the  northern 
people.  Many  females  were  most  expert  mowers  and  reapers. 
Within  the  author's  recollection,  he  has  seen  several  female  reapers 
who  were  equal  to  the  stoutest  males  in  the  harvest  field.  It  was  no 
uncommon  thing  to  see  the  female  part  of  the  family  at  the  hoe  or 
plow ;  and  some  of  our  now  wealthiest  citizens  frequently  boast 
of  their  grandmothers,  aye  mothers  too,  performing  this  kind  of 
heavy  labor. 

The  natural  result  of  this  kind  of  rural  life  was  to  produce  a 
hardy  and  vigorous  race  of  people.  It  was  this  race  of  people  who 
had  to  meet  and  breast  the  various  Indian  wars  and  the  storms  of 
the  Revolution. 

The  Dutchman's  bam  was  usually  the  best  building  on  his  farm. 
He  was  sure  to  erect  a  fine  large  bam,  before  he  built  any  other 
dwelling-houses  than  his  rude  log  cabin.  There  were  none  of  our 
primitive  immigrants  more  uniform  in  the  form  of  their  buildings 
than  the  Germans.  Their  dwelling-houses  were  seldom  raised  more 
than  a  single  story  in  height,  with  a  large  cellar  beneath  ;  the  chim- 
ney in  the  middle,  with  a  very  wide  fire-place  in  one  end  for  the 
— t  

*  The  Quakers  were  remarkable  for  their  broad-brim  hats.  They  were 
sometimes  called  "Broadbrims,"  by  way  of  distinguishing  them  from  other 
people. 


MODE  OF  LIVING  OF  153 

kitclien,  in  the  other  end  a  stove  room.  Their  furniture  was  of  the 
simplest  and  plainest  kind ;  and  there  was  always  a  long  pine 
table  fixed  in  one  corner  of  the  stove  room,  with  permanent 
benches  on  one  side.  On  the  upper  floor,  garners  for  holding  grain 
were  very  common.  Their  beds  were  generally  filled  with  straw  or 
chaff,  with  a  fine  feather  bed  for  covering  in  the  winter.  The  author 
has  several  times  slept  in  this  kind  of  a  bed  ;  and  to  a  person  accus- 
tomed to  it,  it  is  attended  not  unfrequently  with  danger  to  the  health. 
The  thick  covering  of  the  feathers  is  pretty  certain  to  produce  a  pro- 
fuse perspiration,  which  an  exposure  to  cold,  on  rising  in  the  morn- 
ing, is  apt  to  check  suddenly,  causing  chillness  and  obstinate 
cough.  The  author,  a  few  years  ago,  caught  in  this  w^ay  the  most 
severe  cold,  which  was  followed  by  a  long  and  distressing  cough,  he 
was  ever  afflicted  with. 

Many  of  the  Germans  have  what  they  call  a  drum,  through 
which  the  stove  pipe  passes  in  their  upper  rooms.  It  is  made  of 
sheet  iron,  something  in  the  shape  of  a  military  drum.  It  soon 
fills  with  heat  from  the  pipe,  by  which  the  rooms  become  agreebly 
warm  in  the  coldest  weather.  A  piazza  is  a  very  common  appendage 
to  a  Dutchman's  dwelling-house,  in  Vv^hich  his  saddles,  bridles,  and 
very  frequently  his  wagon  or  plow  harness  are  hung  up. 

The  Germans  erect  stables  for  their  domestic  animals  of  every 
species  ;  even  their  swine  are  housed  in  the  winter  season.  Their 
barns  and  stables  are  well  stored  with  provender,  particularly  fine 
hay  ;  hence  their  quadrupeds  of  all  kinds  are  kept  throughout  the 
year  in  the  finest  possible  order.  This  practice  of  housing  stock  in 
the  winter  season  is  unquestionably  great  economy  in  husbandry. 
Much  less  food  is  required  to  sustain  them,  and  the  animals  come 
out  in  the  spring  in  fine  health  and  condition.  It  is  a  rare  occur- 
rence to  hear  of  a  Dutchman's  losing  any  part  of  his  stock  with  pov- 
erty. The  practice  of  housing  stock  in  the  winter  is  not  exclusively 
a  German  custom,  but  it  is  common  to  most  of  the  northern 
people,  and  those  descended  from  immigrants  from  the  north. 
The  author  recollects  once  seeing  the  cow  stalls  adjoining  a  farmer's 
dwelling. 

The  German  women,  many  of  them,  are  remarkably  neat  house- 
keepers. There  are  some  of  them,  however,  extremely  slovenly, 
and  their  dwellings  are  kept  in  the  worst  possible  condition.  The 
effluvia  arising  from  the  want  of  cleanliness  is  in  the  highest  degree 
disgusting  and  offensive  to  persons  unaccustomed  to  such  fare.  The 
same  remarks  are  applicable  to  the  Irish  ;  nay  to  some  native  Vir- 
ginians. The  Germans  are  remarkable  for  their  fine  bread,  milk 
and  butter.  They  consume  in  their  diet  less  animal  flesh,  and  of 
course  more  vegetables,  than  most  other  people.  Their  "sour 
krout."*  in  the  winter  constitutes  a  considerable  part  of  their 

*  "  Sour  krout "  is  made  of  the  best  of  cabbage.  A  box  about  three 
feet  in  length,  and  six  or  seven  inches  wide,  with  a  sharp  blade  fixed  across 

20 


154  'THH  PRIMITIVE  SETTLERvS. 

living.  They  generally  consume  less,  and  sell  more  of  the  product 
of  their  labor,  than  any  other  class  of  our  citizens.  A  Dutchman  is 
proverbial  for  his  patient  perseverance  in  his  domestic  labors.  Their 
farms  are  generally  small  and  nicely  cultivated.  In  his  agricultural 
pursuits,  his  meadows  demand  his  gravest  care  and  attention.  His 
little  farm  is  laid  off  in  fields  not  exceeding  ten  or  twelve  acres  each. 
It  is  rarely  seen  that  a  Dutchman  will  cultivate  more  than  about  ten 
or  twelve  acres  in  Indian  corn  in  one  year.  They  are  of  opinion  that 
the  corn  crop  is  a  great  exhauster  of  the  soil,  and  that  they  make 
but  little  use  of  corn  for  any  other  purpose  than  feeding  and  fatten- 
ing their  swine. 

Previous  to  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  and  for  several  years 
after,  considerable  quantities  of  tobacco  w^ere  raised  in  the  lower 
counties  of  the  valley.  The  cultivation  of  this  crop  was  first  intro- 
duced and  pursued  by  emmigrants  from  the  eastern  counties  of  Vir- 
ginia. From  the  newly  cleared  lands,  two  crops  of  tobacco  in  suc- 
cession were  generally  taken,  and  it  was  then  appropriated  to  the 
culture  of  other  crops.  The  crop  of  tobacco  left  the  soil  in  the  fin- 
est possible  state  for  the  production  of  other  crops.  Corn,  wheat, 
rye,  flax,  oats,  potatoes,  and  everything  else,  were  almost  certain  to 
produce  abundant  crops,  after  the  crop  of  tobacco. 

In  the  year  1794  the  French  revolution  broke  out,  when  bread 
stuffs  of  every  kind  suddenly  became  enormously  high  ;  in  conse- 
quence of  which  the  farmers  in  the  Valley  abandoned  the  cultiva- 
tion of  tobacco,  and  turned  their  attention  to  wheat,  which  they 
raised  in  vast  quantities  for  several  years  after  the  commencement  of 
the  French  revolution,  to  sell  his  crops  of  wheat  from  one  to  two,  and 
sometimes  at  two  and-a-half  dollars  per  bushel,  and  his  fiour  from 
ten  to  fourteen  dollars  per  barrel  in  our  seaport  towns. 

In  the  year  1796,  the  Hessian  fly  first  made  its  appearance  in 
Virginia.  Its  ravages  that  year  was  limited,  and  but  little  damage 
was  sustained  in  the  crops  of  wheat.  The  crops  of  1797,  in  the 
counties  contiguous  to  the  Potomac,  w^as  generally  destroyed,  and 
the  same  year  partial  injur}^  was  discovered  in  Frederick  county. 
The  crop  of  1798,  throughout  the  Count}^  of  Frederick,  was  nearly 
destroj-ed.  E\  er  since  which  time  the  farmers  have  annually  suffer- 
ed more  or  less  from  the  ravages  of  this  destructive  destroyer.  This 
insect  had  prevailed  in  some  of  the  Northern  States  for  several  yesLVS 
before  it  reached  Virginia.    It  is  said  it  first  appeared  on  Long  Is- 

the  bottom,  some  thing  on  the  principle  of  the  jack  plane,  is  used  for  cutting 
the  cabbage.  The  head  being  separated  from  the  stalk,  and  stripped  of  its 
outer  leaves,  is  placed  in  this  box,  and  run  back  and  forth.  The  cabbage 
thus  cut  up  is  placed  in  a  barrel,  a  little  salt  sprinkled  on  from  time  to  time, 
then  pressed  down  verv  closely,  and  covered  over  at  the  open  head.  In  the 
course  of  three  or  four  weeks  it  acquires  a  sourish  taste,  and  to  persons  ac- 
customed to  the  use  of  it,  it  is  a  v«ry  agreeable  and  wholesome  food.  It  is 
eaid  that  the  use  of  it,  within  the  last  few  years,  on  board  of  ships,  has 
proved  it  to  be  the  best  preventive  known  for  the  scurvy.  The  use  of  it  is 
becoming  pretty  general  among  all  classes  of  people  in  the  valley. 


MODE  OF  LIVING,  &c. 


155 


land,  and  was  believed  to  have  been  imported  by  the  Hessian  troops 
in  their  straw  bedding  in  the  time  of  the  War  of  the  Revolution. 
If  this  be  true,  it  was  a  woful  curse  upon  our  countr}-,  of  which  it 
probably  will  never  be  relieved.  The  present  generation  have 
abundant  cause  to  execrate  the  inhuman  policy  of  our  parent  State 
in  bringing  upon  us  this  heav}^  calamity,  and  all  future  generations 
will  probabl}'  join  in  condemning  the  British  ministry-  who  forced 
upon  our  ancestors  that  unrighteous  war. 


156  NORTHERN  NECK  OP  VIRGINIA. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

NORTHERN  NECK  OF  VIRGINIA. 

Charles  II.,  King  of  England,  granted  to  the  ancestors  of  the 
late  Lord  Fairfax  all  the  lands  lying  between  the  head  waters  of  the 
Rappahannock  and  Potomac  Rivers  in  the  Chesapeake  Bay.  This 
immense  grant  included  the  territory  now  comprising  the  counties 
of  Lancaster,  Northumberland,  Richmond,  Westmoreland,  Stafford, 
King  George,  Prince  William,  Fairfax,  lyoudoun,  Farquier,Culpeper, 
Madison,  Page,  Shenandoah,  Hardy,  Plampshire,  Morgan,  Berkeley, 
Jefferson  and  Frederick.  It  is  said  that  the  first  grant  to  the  an- 
cestors of  Fairfax  was  only  intended  to  include  the  territory  in 
the  Northern  Neck,  east  of  the  Blue  Ridge ;  and  after  Fairfax  dis- 
covered that  the  Potomac  River  headed  in  the  Alleghany  Mountains, 
he  returned  to  England,  and  instituted  his  petition  in  the  court  of 
king's  bench  for  extending  his  grant  into  the  Alleghany  Mountains, 
so  to  include  the  territory  composing  the  present  Counties  of  Page, 
Shenandoah,  Hardy,  Hampshire,  Morgan,  Berkeley,  Jefferson  and 
Frederick.  A  compromise  took  place  between  Fairfax  and  the 
crown  ;  but  previous  to  the  institution  of  Fairfax's  suit,  several  in- 
dividuals had  obtained  grants  for  large  bodies  of  land  west  of  the 
Blue  Ridge,  from  the  Colonial  government  of  Virginia.  In  the  com- 
promise it  was  expressly  stipulated  that  the  holders  of  lands,  under 
what  were  then  called  the  king's  grants,  were  to  be  quited  in  their 
right  of  possession. 

Joist  Hite  and  his  partners  had  obtained  grants  for  a  large  body . 
Fairfax,  under  the  pretext  that  Hite,  &c.,  had  not  complied  with 
the  terms  of  their  grants,  took  it  upon  himself  to  grant  away  large 
quantities  of  these  lands  to  other  individuals.  This  arbitrary  and 
high-handed  proceeding  on  the  part  of  his  Lordship,  produced  a 
lawsuit,  w^hich  Hite  and  his  partners  instituted  in  the  year  1736,  and 
in  the  year  1786  it  was  decided.  Hite  and  partners  recovered  a 
large  amount  of  money  for  the  rents  and  profits,  and  a  considerable 
quantity  of  land.  * 

*  In  the  year  1736,  Fairfax  entered  a  caveat  against  Hite,  &c.,  alleging 
that  the  lands  claimed  by  them  were  within  the  bounds  of  the  Northern 
Neck,  and  consequently  his  property.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  con- 
troversy, and  led  to  the  suit  instituted  by  Hite  and  partners  against  him. 
All  the  parties  died  before  the  suit  was  decided.  Hite  in  1731  purchased 
from  John  and  Isaac  Vanmeter  their  right  or  warrant  for  locating  40,000 
acres  ;  Hite  and  McKay  obtained  a  warrant  for  locating  100,000  acres  more 


NORTHERN  NECK  OF  VIRGINIA.  157 


The  immense  Fairfax  estate  had  passed  out  of  the  hands  of 
Fairfax's  heirs.  The  lands  (as  observ^ed  in  a  preceding  chapter) 
were  granted  by  Fairfax  in  fee  simple  to  his  tenants,  subject 
to  an  annual  rent  of  two  shillings  sterling  per  hundred  acres. 
This  small  sum  amounted  in  the  aggregate  to  a  very  large  sum  ; 
added  to  which  Fairfax  required  the  payment  of  ten  shillings  ster- 
ling on  each  fifty  acres,  (which  he  termed  composition  money), 
which  was  paid  on  issuing  the  grant. 

About  the  year  1742,  his  Lordship  opened  his  office  in  the  coun- 
ty of  Fairfax  for  granting  out  the  land.  A  few  years  after,  he 
removed  to  the  County  of  Frederick,  and  settled  at  what  he  called 
' '  G  reenway  Court, ' '  about  twelve  or  fourteen  miles  southeast  of 
Winchester,  where  he  kept  his  land  office  during  his  life.  He  died 
in  the  autumn  of  1781,  very  soon  after  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis. 
It  is  said  that  as  soon  as  he  heard  of  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis 
and  his  army,  he  called  to  his  servants  to  assist  him  to  bed,  observ- 
ing, "It  is  time  for  me  to  die  ; ' '  and  truly  the  old  man  never  again 
left  his  bed  until  he  was  consigned  to  the  tomb.  His  body  was  de- 
posited under  the  communion  table  in  the  then  Episcopal  church  in 
Winchester. 

In  the  year  1785  the  Legislature  of  Virginia  passed  an  act 
v/hich  among  other  provisions  (in  relation  to  the  Northern  Neck)  is 
the  following  : 

"And  be  it  further  enacted,  that  the  landholders  within  the  said 
district  of  the  Northern  Neck  shall  be  forever  hereafter  exonerated 
and  discharged  from  composition  and  quitrent,  any  law,  custom  or 
usage,  to  the  contrar}^  notwithstanding."  f  This  act  of  the  State 
freed  the  people  from  a  vexatious  and  troublesome  kind  of  taxation. 
Fairfax's  representatives  soon  sold  out  their  interest  in  their  private 
estate  in  this  country,  and  it  is  believed  there  is  no  part  of  this  vast 
landed  estate  remaining  in  the  hands  of  any  branch  of  the  Fairfax 

in  their  own  names  ;  and  in  order  to  obtain  settlers,  took  in  Robert  Green 
and  William  DufiE  as  partners.  Hence  the  firm  of  Joist  Hite,  Robert  McKay, 
Robert  Green  and  WilHam  Duff.  Green  and  Duff  settled  in  Culpeper  coun- 
ty, and  are  the  ancestors  of  the  famiHes  of  those  names  in  that  county,  and 
of  Gen.  Duff  Green  of  Washington  City. 

*  Lord  Fairfax  made  a  donation  to  the  Episcopal  society,  of  a  lot  of  land, 
upon  which  a  large  stone  building  M'as  erected  as  a  place  of  worship.  The 
lot  is  in  the  center  of  the  town,  and,  attached  to  the  church,  was  a  large 
burial  ground,  in  which  a  great  number  of  bodies  are  deposited.  The  Epis- 
copal society  lately  sold  at  auction  this  ancient  building  and  lot  for  twelve 
thousand  dollars.  The  purchasers  caused  the  skeletons  to  be  removed,  and 
there  are  now  three  elegant  brick  houses  erected  on  the  lot.  With  the 
money  arising  from  the  sale,  the  Episcopal  society  purchased  a  lot  on  Bos- 
cowen  and  Washington  streets,  and  have  built  a  splendid  new  church.  It  is 
to  be  regretted  that  no  account  was  taken  of  the  number  of  skeletons  re- 
moved. The  author  inquired  of  several  persons,, who  were  concerned  in 
the  removal,  no  one  of  whom  could  give  any  account  of  the  number.  It  is 
probable  there  were  not  less  than  1,000  ;  the  skeleton  of  Lord  Fairfax  among 
them. 

f  See  Revised  Code  of  the  LawsoS  Virginia,  vol.  i,  p.  351. 


1^8 


NORTHERN  NECK  OF  VIRGINIA. 


famil}'.  Chief  Justice  Marshall,  the  late  Raleigh  Colston,  Esq.,  and 
the  late  Gen.  Henry  Lee,  purchased  the  right  of  Fairfax's  legatees 
(in  England)  to  what  is  called  the  Manor  of  Leeds,  ^  South  Branch 
Manor,  Patterson's  Creek  Maaor,  and  various  other  tracts  of  land 
of  immense  value — the  most  of  which  had  been  leased  out  for  long 
terms  of  lives.  This  estate  has  been  the  cause  of  more  litigation 
probably  than  an}-  other  estate  of  Virginia.  Suits  growing  out  of 
the  case  of  Hite,  &c.,  against  Fairfax,  are  3'et  depending  in  our 
courts — and  some  of  the  teiuints  in  the  Manor  of  Leeds  have  lately 
taken  it  in  their  heads  that  the  Fairfax  title  is  defective,  and  refuse 
to  pay  rents  to  the  present  claimants.  This  refusal  has  produced  a 
lawsuit,  which  will  dotibtless  be  a  long  time  pending. 

The  profligate  manner  of  granting  away  lands  in  immense  bodies 
was  unquestionabl}'  founded  iu  the  most  unwise  and  unjust  policy. 
Instead  of  promoting  the  speedy  settlement  and  improvement  of  the 
count}',  instead  of  holding  out  to  the  bulk  of  society  every  possible 
encouragement  to  make  the  most  speedy  settlement  and  improve- 
ment in  the  nev/  country,  monopolies  in  several  instances  were  given, 
or  pretended  to  be  sold  to  a  few  favorities  of  the  governing  powers, 
whereby  these  favorities  ^^'e^e  enabled  to  amass  vast  estates,  and  to 
lord  it  over  the  great  majoritN"  of  their  fellow  men.  Such  are  the 
blessings  of  kingly  government.  But  the  people  of  this  free  and 
happy  republic  have  abundant  cause  to  rejoice  and  bless  their  God 
that  this  wretched  kind  of  policy  and  high-handed  injustice  is  done 
awa}^  in  the  freedom  and  wisdom  of  our  institutions,  and  that  we 
have  no  longer  our  ears  assailed,  nor  our  understandings  outraged, 
with  the  disgusting,  high-sounding  title  of  '*  My  Lord  !  "  applied  to 
poor  frail  human  beings. 

Lord  Fairfax  was  the  county  lieutenant  for  Frederick  for  several 
3'ears.  On  looking  into  the  record  of  the  proceedings  of  the  court- 
martial,  the  author  found  tlie  following  entry  : 

"  At  a  council  of  wyr.  held  for  regulating  the  militia  of  Fred- 
erick county,  in  order  to  take  such  steps  as  shall  be  thought  most 
expedient  in  the  present  critical  conjuncture,  the  14th  day  of  April, 
1756;  present,  the  Rt.  Hon.  the  Lord  Fairfax,  county  lieutenant; 
John  Hite,  major  ;  John  Lindse}',  Isaac  Parkins,  Richard  Morgan, 
Samuel  Odell,  Edward  Rogers,  Jeremiah  Smith,  ^  Thomas  Caton, 
Paul  Long,  captains. 

* '  Proposals  having  been  sent  to  the  several  captains  of  the  mili- 
tia, signed  b}^  the  commanding  officer  of  the  said  militia,  and  dated 

*  The  Manor  of  Leeds  is  located  in  the  counties  of  Cnlpeper,  Fauquier 
and  Frederick,  and  contains  about  150,000  acres  ;  the  South  Branch  Manor 
in  Hardy,  55,000;  Patterson's  Creek  in  Hampshire,  9,000  acres  ;  Goony  Run 
Manor,  which  adjoins  the  Manor  of  Leeds,  contains  about  13,000  acres,  and 
lies  chiefly  in  Shenandoah  county. 

f  Capt.  Jeremiah  Smith,  the  same  who  defeated  the  party  of  fifty  In- 
dians, and  killed  the  French  captain,  noticed  in  a  preceding  chapter. 


NORTHERN  NECK  OF  VIRGINIA. 


159 


the  7th  day  of  April,  1756,  to  get  what  volunteers  they  could  en- 
courage to  go  in  search  of  the  Indian  enemy  who  are  daily  ravaging 
our  frontiers  and  committing  their  accustomed  cruelties  on  the 
inhabitants  ;  and  the  aforesaid  officers  being  met  together,  and  find- 
ing the  number  of  men  insufficient  to  go  against  the  enemj^,  it  is 
considered  that  the  men  be  discharged,  being  only  fifteen. 

FAIRFAX." 

From  this  it  appears  that  Lord  Fairfax,  among  others,  w^as  an 
attentive  officer  in  the  time  of  the  Indian  wars.  In  truth  it  be- 
hooved his  lordship  to  be  active.  He  had  more  at  stake,  and  the 
command  of  greater  funds,  than  any  other  individual  member  of 
society.  The  Indian  hostilities  retarded  the  settlement  of  his  large 
domain,  and  of  course  lessened  his  revenue.  It  is  said  that  his  lord- 
ship was  remarkable  for  his  eccentricities  and  singularit}^  of  disposi- 
tion and  character,  and  that  he  had  an  insatiable  passion  for  hoard- 
ing up  English  gold.  *  He  never  married  ;  of  course  left  no  child 
to  inherit  his  vast  estate  ;  but  devised  his  property,  or  a  large  por- 
tion of  it,  to  the  Rev.  Denny  Martin,  liis  nephew  in  England,  on 
condition  that  he  would  apply  to  the  parb'ament  of  Great  Britain  for 
an  act  to  authorize  him  to  take  the  name  of  Lord  Fairfax.  This 
was  done  ;  and  Denny  Lord  Fairfax,  like  his  uncle,  never  marrying, 
he  devised  the  estate  to  Gen.  Philip  Martin,  who,  never  marrying, 
and  dying  without  issue,  devised  the  estates  to  his  two  old  maiden 
sisters,  who  sold  it  to  Messrs.  Marshall.  Colston  and  Lee. 

He  devised  that  part  of  his  estf^te  ou  which  he  resided,  and 
which  he  called  "  Greenwa)^  Court  Manur,"  (containing  ten  thou- 
sand acres,  with  a  large  part  of  his  sla\-es,  &c.)  ,  to  another  nephew, 
the  late  Col.  Thomas  Bryan  Martin,  vv  lio  had  resided  with  him  for 
many  years  previous  to  his  death.  Col.  Martin,  like  others,  never 
married.  But  he  contrived  to  make  a  daughter  b}'  a  Mrs.  Craw- 
ford, who  Lord  Fairfax  had  employed  as  a  housekeeper.  After 
Fairfax's  death,  Martin  kept  this  woman  as  a  mistress  for  several 
years  ;  she  died,  and  the  daughter  grew  up  and  married  the  late 
Francis  Geldart,  who  was  a  captain  in  tlie  British  service  in  the  War 
of  the  Revolution.  She  died  soon  after  her  marriage  without  issue, 
Martin  gave  Geldart  about  one  thousand  acres  of  land,  part  of 
"  Greenway  Court  Manor,"  with  a  juiniber  of  slaves,  &c.  Col. 
Martin,  after  the  death  of  his  daughter,  employed  a  white  house- 
keeper, a  Miss  Powers,  to  whom  he  de\  ised  Greenwa}'  Court,  with 
one  thousand  acres  of  land,  a  number  of  slaves,  and  all  the  residue 
of  his  personal  estate  of  every  description,  (w'ith  the  exception  of 
part  of  his  stock,  slaves^  and  mone^O-  Miss  Powers  after  the  death 
of  Martin,  married  the  late  Mr.  W.  Carnagy,  by  whom  she  had  an 

*  Some  four  or  five  years  ago  the  slaves  oi  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kennerly,  the 
present  proprietor  of  "  Greenway  Court,"  in  cjuarrying  stone,  not  far  from 
Fairfax's  ancient  dwelling-house,  found  about  $250  worth  of  gold  coin,  sup- 
posed to  have  been  hidden  there  by  his  lordship. 


i6o  FAUIvKNKR'S  REPORT. 

only  daughter,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  Rev.  Thomas  Kennerly.  Col. 
Martin  directed  by  his  will  the  sale  of  all  the  residue  of  his  estate, 
and  the  money  arising  from  the  sale  to  be  remitted  and  paid  to  his 
two  maiden  sisters  in  England.  Shorth^  after  his  death  an  attempt 
was  made  to  escheat  the  landed  estate,  and  the  suit  Avas  depending 
some  sixteen  or  eighteen  years  before  its  final  decision.  The  Court 
of  Appeals  at  length  decided  the  question  in  favor  of  Martin's 
legatees. 

It  is  proper,  before  the  subject  of  Lord  Fairfax's  immense  grant 
is  dismissed,  to  inform  the  reader,  that  a  few  yea.rs  after  the  War  of 
the  Revolution,  an  attempt  was  made  to  confiscate  all  that  part  of 
his  landed  estate  devised  by  his  nephew  Denny  Martin  (afterwards 
Denny  Lord  Fairfax).  But  Messrs.  iMarshall,  Colston  and  Lee, 
having  purchased  the  estiite,  a  compromise  took  place  betv/een  them 
and  the  state  government,  for  the  particulars  of  which  the  reader  is 
referred  to  the  first  volume  of  the  Revised  Code  of  the  Laws  of  Vir- 
ginia, pp.  352,  353. 

The  sale  of  the  estate  of  Lord  Fairfax  by  his  legatees  in  Eng- 
land, and  the  devise  and  sale  of  the  estate  of  the  late  Col.  T.  B.  Mar- 
tin, is  the  last  chapter  in  the  histoiw  of  the  Fairfax  interest  in  the 
Northern  Neck,  a  territory  comprising  about  one  fourth  of  the  whole 
of  the  present  limits  of  Virginia. 

The  State  of  Mar>'land  has  lately  set  up  a  claim  to  a  considera- 
ble tract  of  territory  on  the  northwest  border  of  Virginia,  including 
a  part  of  the  Northern  Neck.  As  the  claim  was  pushed  with  much 
earnestness,  the  executive  of  our  State  appointed  Charles  James 
Faulkner,  Esq.,  of  Martinsburg,  a  commissioner,  to  collect  and  em- 
body the  necessary  testimon}^  on  behalf  of  Virginia,  on  this  inter- 
esting question.  Mr.  Faulkner's  able  report  the  author  deems  of 
sufficient  interest  to  his  readers  generally  to  insert  in  tais  work.  It 
foUov/s : 

REPORT  OF  CHARI^ES  JAMES  FAUI.KNER,  RElvATIVE  TO  THE  BOUND- 
ARY LINE  BETWEEN  VIRGINIA  AND  MARYLAND. 

Martinsburg,  Va.,  November  6th  1832. 

Sir  : — In  execution  of  a  commission  addressed  to  me  by  your 
Excellency,  and  made  out  in  pursuance  of  a  joint  resolution  of  the 
General  Assembly  of  this  State,  of  the  20th  of  March  last,  I  have 
directed  my  attention  to  the  collection  of  such  testimony  as  the  lapse 
of  time  and  the  nature  of  the  enquiry  have  enabled  me  to  procure 
touching  '*the  settlement  and  adjustment  of  the  western  boundary 
of  Maryland."  The  division  line  which  now  separates  the  two 
States  on  the  west,  and  which  has  heretofore  been  considered  as  fixed 
by  positive  adjudication  and  long  acquiescence,  commences  at  a  point 
where  the  Fairfax  stone  is  planted,  at  the  head  spring  of  the  Poto- 


*  The  estate  sold  for  about  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 


FAULKNER'S  REPORT. 


i6i 


mac  River,  and  runs  thence  due  north  to  the  Pennsylvania  line. 
This  is  the  boundry  to  which  Virginia  has  held  for  nearly  a  century  ; 
it  is  the  line  by  which  she  held  in  1786,  when  the  compact  made  by 
the  Virginia  and  Maryland  commissioners  w'as  solemnly  ratified  by 
the  legislative  authorities  of  the  two  States. 

An  effort  is  now  made  by  the  General  Assembly  of  Maryland, 
to  enlarge  her  territory  by  the  establishment  of  a  different  division 
line.  We  have  not  been  informed  which  fork  of  the  South  Branch 
she  will  elect  as  the  new  boundary,  but  the  proposed  line  is  to  run 
from  one  of  the  forks  of  the  South  Branch,  thence  due  north  to  the 
Pennsylvania  terminus.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  substitution 
of  the  latter,  no  matter  at  which  fork  it  may  commence,  would  cause 
an  important  diminution  in  the  already  diminished  territorial  area  of 
this  State.  It  would  deprive  us  of  large  portions  of  the  counties  of 
Hampshire,  Hardy,  Pendleton,  Randolph  and  Preston,  amounting  in 
all  to  almost  half  a  million  of  acres — a  section  of  the  commonwealth 
which  from  the  quality  of  its  soil,  and  the  character  of  its  popula- 
tion, might  well  excite  the  cupidity  of  a  government  resting  her 
claims  upon  a  less  substantial  basis  than  a  stale  and  groundless  pre- 
tension of  more  than  a  century's  antiquity.  Although  my  in- 
structions have  directed  my  attention  more  particularly  to  the 
collection  and  preservation  of  the  evidence  of  such  living  witnesses 
* '  as  might  be  able  to  testify  to  any  facts  or  circumstances  in  relation 
to  the  settlement  and  adjustment  of  the  western  boundary,"  I  have 
consumed  but  a  very  inconsiderable  portion  of  my  time  in  any  labor  or 
inquiry  of  that  sort,  for  who  indeed,  now  living,  could  testify  to  any 
' '  facts  or  circumstances  ' '  which  occurred  nearly  a  centurj^  since  ? 
And  if  such  individuals  were  now  living,  why  waste  time  in  taking 
depositions  as  to  those  "facts,"  in  proof  of  which  the  most  ample 
and  authentic  testimony  was  taken  in  1736,  as  the  basis  of  a  royal 
adjudication?  I  have  consequently  deemed  it  of  more  importance 
to  procure  the  original  documents  where  possible,  if  not,  authentic 
copies  of  such  papers  as  would  serve  to  exhibit  a  connected  view  of 
the  origin,  progress  and  termination  of  that  controversy  with  the 
crown,  which  resulted,  after  the  most  accurate  and  laborious  sur- 
ve3^s,  in  the  ascertainment  of  those  very  * '  facts  and  circumstances  ' ' 
which  are  now  sought  to  be  made  again  the  subjects  of  discussion 
and  inquiry.  In  this  pursuit  I  have  succeeded  far  beyond  what  I 
had  any  ground  for  anticipation  ;  and  from  the  almost  forgotten 
rubbish  of  past  years,  have  been  enabled  to  draw  forth  documents 
and  papers  whose  interests  may  survive  the  occasion  which  redeemed 
them  from  destruction. 

To  enable  your  Excellency  to  form  a  just  conception  of  the 
weight  and  importance  of  the  evidence  herewith  accompanying  this 
report,  I  beg  leave  to  submit  with  it  a  succinct  statement  of  the 
question  in  issue  between  the  governments  of  Virginia  and  Mary- 
land, with  some  observations  showing  the  relevancy  of  the  evidence 
to  the  question  thus  presented. 


l62 


FAULKNER'S  REPORT. 


The  territory  of  Maryland  granted  by  Charles  I.  to  Lord  Balti- 
more, in  June,  1632,  was  described  in  the  grant  as  "that  region 
bounded  by  a  line  drawn  from  Watkins'  Point  on  Chesapeake  Bay 
to  the  ocean  on  the  east ;  thence  to  that  part  of  the  estuary  of  Dela- 
ware on  the  north  which  lieth  under  the  fortieth  degree,  where 
New  England  is  terminated  ;  thence  in  a  right  line  by  the  de- 
gree aforesaid,  to  the  meridian  of  the  fountain  of  the  Potomac ; 
thence  following  its  course  by  its  farther  bank  to  its  conflu- 
ence." (^Marshall's  Life  of  Washingto7i^  vol,  i^chap  ji^  pp.  yS-Si, 
ist  edition. 

It  is  plain  that  the  western  boundary  of  this  grant  was  the 
meridian  of  the  fountain  of  the  Potomac,  from  the  point  where  it 
cut  the  fortieth  degree  of  north  latitude  to  the  fountain  of  the  river  ; 
and  the  extent  of  the  grant  depended  upon  the  question,  what  stream 
was  the  Potomac  ?  So  that  the  question  now  in  controversy  grows 
immediately  out  of  the  grant.  The  territory  granted  to  Lord 
Baltimore  was  undoubtedly  within  the  chartered  limits  of  Vir- 
ginia :  {^See  ist  chapter  of  April,  1606,  sec.  4,  and  the  2nd  charter  of 
May,  idop,  sec.  6,  ist  of  Hen.  Stat,  at  Large,  pp.  ^8-88.  And  Mar- 
shall sa3^s  that  the  grant  * '  was  the  first  example  of  the  dismember- 
ment of  the  colony,  and  the  creation  of  a  new  one  within  its 
limits,  by  the  mere  act  of  the  crown  and  that  the  planters  of 
Virginia  presented  a  petition  against  it,  ''which  was  heard  before 
the  privy  council  (of  England)  in  Jul}^  1633,  when  it  was  de- 
clared that  Lord  Baltimore  should  retain  his  patent,  and  the  petition- 
ers their  remedy  at  law.  To  this  remedy  they  never  thought  proper 
to  resort." 

Whether  there  be  any  record  of  this  proceeding  extant,  I  have 
never  been  able  to  learn.  The  civil  war  in  England  broke  out  about 
ten  years  after,  and  perhaps  the  journals  of  the  proceedings  of  the 
privy  council  were  destroyed.  Subsequently  to  this,  we  are  in- 
formed by  Graham,  the  planters,  * '  fortified  by  the  opinion  of  emin- 
ent lawyers  whom  they  consulted,  and  who  scrupled  not  to  assure 
them  that  the  ancient  patents  of  Virginia  still  remained  in  force,  and 
that  the  grant  of  Maryland,  as  derogatory  to  them,,  was  titter ly  void, 
they  presented  an  application  to  the  parliament  complaining  of  the 
unjust  invasion  which  their  privileges  had  undergone. "  {Graham' s 
History,  vol.  2,  p.  12).  But  as  the  parliaments  of  those  days  were 
but  the  obsequious  ministers  of  the  crown,  that  application,  it  is 
presumed,  likewise  shared  the  fate  of  their  former  petition  to  the 
privy  council. 

The  present  claim  of  Maryland,  then,  must  be  founded  on  the 
supposition  that  the  stream  which  we  call  the  Potomac  was  not ;  and 
that  the  stream  now  called  the  South  Branch  of  the  Potomac,  was 
in  fact  the  Potomac  intended  in  the  grant  to  Lord  Baltimore.  I 
have  never  been  informed  which  fork  of  the  South  Branch  she  claims 
as  the  Potomac  (for  there  is  a  North  and  a  South  Fork  of  the  South 
Branch)  ;  neither  have  I  been  able  to  learn  what  is  the  evidence,  on 


FAULKNER'S  REPORT. 


which,  she  relies  to  ascertain  that  stream  which  is  now  called  the  South 
Branch  of  the  Potomac,  but  which  at  the  date  of  the  grant  to  Lord 
Baltimore  was  not  known  at  all,  but  when  known,  known  for  manj- 
years  only  as  the  Wappacomo,  was  the  Potomac  intended  by  Lord 
Baltimore's  grant.  For  this  important  geographical  fact,  I  refer  to 
the  numerous  earl}'  maps  of  the  chartered  limits  of  Virginia  and 
Maryland,  some  of  which  are  to  be  seen  in  the  public  libraries  of 
Washington  and  Richmond. 

The  question,  which  stream  was  the  Potomac?  is  simply  a 
question  which  of  them,  if  either,  bore  the  name.  The  name  is 
a  matter  of  general  reputation.  If  there  be  any  thing  which-  de- 
pends wholly  upon  general  acceptation,  which  ought  and  must 
be  settled  by  prescription,  it  is  this  question,  which  of  these 
Rivers  was  and  is  the  Potomac?  The  accompanying  papers,  it  is 
believed,  will  ascertain  this  fact  to  the  satisfaction  of  every  impar- 
tial inquirer. 

In  the  twenty-first  3'ear  of  Charles  II,  a  grant  was  made  to  Lord 
Hopton  and  others,  of  what  is  called  the  Northern  Neck  of  Virginia, 
which  was  sold  by  the  other  patentees  to  Lord  Culpeper,  and  con- 
firmed to  him  by  letters  patent  in  the  fourth  3'ear  of  James  II. 
This  grant  carried  with  it  nothing  but  the  right  of  soil  and  the  inci- 
dent of  ownership  ;  for  it  was  expressly  subjected  to  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  government  of  Virginia.  Of  this  earlier  patent  I  believe 
there  is  no  copy  in  Virginia.  The  original  charter  from  James  II. 
to  Lord  Culpeper  accompanies  this  report,  marked  No.  i.  They  are 
both  recited  in  the  Colonial  statute  of  1736.  (/  Rro.  Code,  ch.  8g). 
The  tract  of  country  thereby  granted,  was  "  all  that  entire  tract, 
territory  and  parcel  of  land,  lying  and  being  in  America,  and  boun- 
ded by  and  within  the  heads  of  the  rivers,  Tappahannock  alias 
Rappahannock,  and  Quiriough  alias  Potomac  Rivers,  the  course  of 
said  Rivers  as  they  are  commonly  called  and  known  by  the  inhabi- 
tants, and  description  of  their  parts  and  Chesapeake  Bay.*' 

As  early  as  1729,  in  consequence  of  the  eagerness  with  which 
lands  were  sought  on  the  Potomac,  and  its  tributary  streams,  and 
from  the  difficulties  growing  out  of  conflicting  grants  from  Lord 
Fairfax  and  the  crown,  the  boundries  of  the  Northern  Neck  pro- 
prietary became  a  subject  which  attracted  deep  and  earnest  atten- 
tion. At  this  time  the  Potomac  had  been  but  little  explored  ;  and 
although  the  stream  itself  above  its  confluence  with  the  Shenandoah 
was  known  as  the  Cohongoroota,  or  Upper  Potomac,  it  had  never 
been  made  the  subject  of  any  very  accurate  surveys  and  examina- 
tions, nor  had  it  yet  been  settled,  by  any  competent  authority, which 
of  its  several  tributaries  was  entitled  to  be  regarded  as  the  main  or 
principal  branch  of  the  River.  It  became  important,  therefore,,  to 
remove  all  further  doubt  upon  that  question. 

In  June,  1729,  the  Lieutenant-governor  of  Virginia  addressed  a 
communication  to  the  lords  commissioners  of  trades  and  plantation 
affairs,  in  which  he  solicits  their  attention  to  the  ambiguity  of  the 


1 64  FAULKNER'S  REPORT. 

lord  proprietor's  charter,  growing  out  of  the  fact  that  there  were 
several  streams  which  might  be  claimed  as  the  head  springs  of  the 
Potomac  River,  among  which  he  enumerates  the  Shenandoah,  and 
expresses  his  determination  "  to  refuse  the  suspension  of  granting 
of  patents,  until  the  case  should  be  fairly  stated  and  determined  ac- 
cording to  the  genuine  construction  of  the  proprietor's  charter." 
This  was  followed  by  a  petition  to  the  king  in  council,  agreed  toby 
the  House  of  Burgesses  of  Virginia,  in  June,  1730,  in  which  it  is  set 
forth,  among  other  matters  of  complaint,  "  that  the  head  springs  of 
the  Rappahannock  and  Potomac  are  not  5'et  knowm  to  any  of  your 
Majesty's  subjects  ;  but  much  inconvenience  had  resulted  to  gran- 
tees therefrom,  and  praying  the  adoption  of  such  measures  as  might 
lead  to  its  ascertainment  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  interested."  Lord 
Fairfax,  who,  by  his  marriage  with  the  only  daughter  of  Lord  Cul- 
peper,  had  now  succeeded  to  the  proprietorship  of  the  Northern 
Neck,  feeling  it  likewise  due  to  his  grantees  to  have  the  question  re- 
lieved from  all  further  difficulty,  preferred  his  petition  to  the  king 
in  1733,  praying  that  his  Majesty  would  be  pleased  to  order  a  com- 
mission to  issue,  for  running  out,  marking,  and  ascertaining  the 
bounds  of  his  patent,  according  to  the  true  intent  and  meaning  of 
his  charter.  An  order  to  this  effect  was  accordingly  directed  to  the 
king  ;  and  three  commissioners  were  appointed  on  behalf  of  the 
crown,  and  the  same  number  on  behalf  of  Lord  Fairfax.  The  duty 
which  devolved  upon  them  was  to  ascertain,  by  actual  examination 
and  survey,  the  true  fountains  of  the  Rappahannock  and  Potomac 
Rivers.  To  enable  them  more  perfectly  to  discharge  the  important 
trust  confied  to  them,  they  were  authorized  to  summon  persons  be- 
fore them,  to  take  depositions  and  affidavits,  to  search  papers,  and 
employ  surveyors,  chain-carriers,  markers,  and  other  necessary 
attendants.  The  commissioners  convened  in  Fredericksburg,  on 
the  26th  of  September,  1736,  and  proceeded  to  discharge  their  du- 
ties, by  taking  depositions,  appointing  surveyors,  and  making  every 
needful  and  requisite  preparation  for  the  survey.  They  commenced 
they  journey  of  observation  and  survey  on  the  12th  day  of  October, 
1736,  and  finished  it  on  the  14th  of  December,  of  the  same  year  ; 
on  which  day  they  discovered  what  they  marked  and  reported  to  be 
the  first  fountain  of  the  Potomac  River.  Separate  reports  were 
made  by  the  commissioners,  which  reports,  with  all  the  accompany- 
ing documents,  papers,  surveys,  plans,  &c.,  were  on  the  21st  of 
December,  1738,  referred  to  the  council  for  plantation  affairs.  That 
board,  after  hearing  counsel,  made  a  report  on  the  6th  day  of  April, 
1745,  in  which  they  state,  "  that  having  examined  into  the  several 
reports,  returns,  plans,  and  other  papers  transmitted  to  them  by  the 
commissioners  appointed  on  behalf  of  the  crown,  as  likewise  of  Lord 
Fairfax,  and  having  been  attended  by  council  on  behalf  of  your 
Majesty,  as  likewise  of  Lord  Fairfax,  and  having  heard  all  they 
had  to  offer  thereupon,  and  the  question  being  concerning  that 
boundary  which  ought  to  be  drawn  from  the  first  head  spring  of  the 


t 


FAULKNER'S  REPORT. 


165 


River  Rappahannock  to  the  first  head  or  spring  of  the  River  Poto- 
mac, the  committee  do  agree  humbly  to  report  to  your  Majesty  as 
their  opinion,  that  within  the  words  and  meaning  of  the  letters  pa- 
tent, granted  by  King  James  II,  bearing  date  the  27th  day  of  Sep- 
tember, in  the  fourth  year  of  his  reign,  the  said  boundary  ought  to 
begin  at  the  first  spring  of  the  South  Branch  of  the  River  Rappa- 
hannock, and  that  the  said  boundary  be  from  thence  drawn  in  a 
straight  line  northwest  to  the  place  in  the  Alleghany  Mountains 
where  that  part  of  the  Potomac  River,  ivhich  is  now  called  Coho^igo- 
roota,  first  rises.''  The  Cohongoroota  is  known  to  be  the  stream 
which  the  Mayland  writers  term  the  North  Branch  of  the  Potomac, 
but  which  is  recognized  in  Virginia,  and  described  on  all  the  maps 
and  surveys  which  I  have  ever  yet  seen,  as  the  Potomac  River ^  from 
its  fountain,  where  the  Fairfax  Stone  is  located,  to  its  confluence 
w^ith  the  Shenandoah  River ;  there  being,  properly  speaking,  no 
such  stream  as  the  North  Branch  of  the  Potomac  River.  This  re- 
port of  the  council  for  plantation  affairs  was  submitted  to  the  king 
in  council  on  the  nth  of  April,  1745,  and  fully  confirmed  by  him, 
and  a  further  order  made,  directing  the  appointment  of  commission- 
ers to  run  and  mark  the  dividing  line  agreeably  to  this  decision  thus 
made.  Commissioners  were  accordingly  appointed,  who,  having 
provided  themselves  with  surveyors,  chain-carriers,  markers,  &c., 
commenced  their  journey  on  the  i8th  of  September,  1746.  On  the 
17th  of  October  they  planted  the  Fairfax  Stone  at  the  spot  which 
had  been  described  and  marked  by  the  preceding  commissioners  as 
the  true  head  spring  of  the  Potomac  River,  and  which  has  continued 
to  be  regarded,  from  that  period  to  the  present  time,  as  the  south- 
ern point  of  the  western  boundary  between  Maryland  and  Virginia. 
A  joint  report  of  these  proceedings  was  made  by  the  commissioners 
to  the  king,  accompanied  with  their  field  notes  ;  which  report  was 
received  and  ordered  to  be  filed  aw^ay  among  the  records  of  His 
Majesty's  Privy  Council.  Thus  terminated,  after  a  lapse  of  six- 
teen years,  a  proceeding,  which  had  for  its  object,  among  other 
matters,  the  ascertainment  of  the  first  fountain  of  the  Potomac  River, 
and  which  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  that  "  fact "  by  a  tribu- 
nal of  competent  jurisdiction.  This  decision  has  now  been  acqui- 
esced in  for  near  a  century  ;  and  all  topographical  description  and 
sketches  of  the  country  have  been  made  to  conform  to  it.  I  say 
acquiesced  in,  for  it  is  impossible  to  regard  the  varying,  fluctuating 
legislation  of  Maryland  upon  the  subject,  at  one  session  of  her 
general  assembly  recognizing  the  line  as  now  established,  (see 
compact  of  1785,  Session  Acts  of  1803,  18 18,  and  others),  at 
another  authorizing  the  appointment  of  commissioners  to  adjttst 
the  boundary,  as  a  grave  resistance  of  its  conclusiveness,  or  such 
a  continual  claim,  as  under  the  usages  of  international  law,  would 
bar  an  application  of  the  principles  of  usucapatio^i  and  prescrip- 
tion. (See  Vattal,  p.  251.  Grotius.  lib.  2,  cap.  4.  Wolfius  Jus. 
Nat.  par.  3. 


FAULKNER'S  REPORT. 


Jurisdiction  in  all  cases  relating  to  boundaries  between  provin- 
ces, the  dominion  and  proprietary  government,  is  by  the  common 
law  of  England  exclusively  vested  in  the  kmg  and  council,  (i  Ves. 
Sen.  p.  447).  And  notwithstanding  it  maybe  a  question  of  bound- 
ary between  the  crown  and  the  lord  proprietor  of  a  province, 
(such  that  as  between  Lord  Fairfax  and  the  crown),  the  king  is 
the  only  judge,  and  is  presumed  to  act  with  entire  impartiality  and 
justice  in  reference  to  all  persons  concerned,  as  well  as  those  who 
are  parties  to  the  proceeding  before  him,  as  others  not  parties  who 
may  not  be  interested  in  the  adjustment.  (Vesey,  ib).  Such  is 
the  theory  and  practice  of  the  English  constitution  ;  and  although 
it  may  not  accord  precisely  with  our  improved  conceptions  of  juri- 
dical practice,  it  is  nevertheless  the  law  which  must  now  govern  and 
control  the  legal  aspect  of  the  territorial  dispute  between  Virginia 
and  Maryland. 

It  does  not  appear  by  the  accompanying  papers  that  Charles 
Lord  Baltimore,  the  then  proprietor  of  Maryland,  deputed  an  agent 
to  attend  upo7i  his  part  in  the  examination  and  survey  of  the  Potomac 
River.  It  is  possible  he  conceived  his  interests  sufficiently  pro- 
tected in  the  aspect  which  the  controversy  had  then  assumed  be- 
tween Lord  Fairfax  and  the  crown.  Certain  it  is,  that  it  nowhere 
appears  that  he  ever  considered  himself  aggrieved  by  the  result  of 
that  adjustment.  That  his  government  was  fully  appraised  of  what 
was  in  progress,  can  scarcely  admit  of  a  rational  doubt.  For  it  is 
impossible  to  conceive  that  a  controversy  so  deeply  affecting  not 
only  the  interests  of  Lord  Baltimore,  but  all  who  were  concerned  in 
the  purchase  of  land  in  that  section  of  the  country,  and  conducted 
with  so  much  solemnity  and  notoriet}^  could  have  extended  through 
a  period  of  sixteen  years  without  attracting  the  attention  of  the 
government  of  Maryland — a  government  ever  jealous,  because  ever 
doubtful  of  the  original  tenue  by  which  her  charter  was  held.  But 
had  Lord  Baltimore  even  considered  himself  aggrieved  by  the  result 
of  that  settlement,  it  is  difficult  now  to  conceive  upon  what  ground 
he  would  have  excepted  to  its  justice,  or  question  its  validity.  Could 
he  have  said  that  the  information  upon  which  the  decision  was 
founded  was  imperfect  ?  Or  the  proceedings  of  the  commissioners 
were  characterized  by  haste,  favoritism  or  fraud  ?  This,  the  pro- 
ceedings of  that  board,  still  preserved,  would  contradict.  For  never 
was  there  an  examination  conducted  with  more  deliberation,  prose- 
cuted with  more  labor,  or  scrutenized  with  a  more  jealous  or  anxi- 
ous vigilance.  Could  he  have  shown  that  some  other  stream  ought 
to  have  been  fixed  upon  as  the  true  head  spring  of  the  Potomac  ? 
This,  it  is  believed,  is  impossible  ;  for  although  it  may  be  true  that 
the  South  Branch  is  a  longer  stream,  it  nevertheless  wants  those 
more  important  characteristics  which  were  then  considered  by  the 
commissioners,  and  have  been  subsequently  regarded  by  esteemed 
geographers  as  essential  in  distinguishing  a  tributary  from  the  main 
branch  of  a  river.    (See  Flint's  Geography,  vol.  2,  p.  88).  Lastly, 


FAULKNER'S  REPORT. 


167 


would  he  have  questioned  the  authority  of  the  crown  to  settle  the 
boundaries  of  Lord  Fairfax's  charter,  without  having  previously 
made  him  a  party  to  the  proceeding  ?  I  have  before  shown  the  fu- 
tility of  such  an  idea.  Besides,  this  would  have  been  at  once  to 
question  the  authority  under  which  he  held  his  own  grant ;  for 
Baltimore  held  by  virtue  of  an  arbitrary  act  of  the  second  Charles. 
His  grant  was  manifestly  made  in  violation  of  the  chartered  rights 
of  Virginia,  and  carried  into  effect  not  only  without  the  acquies- 
cence, but  against  the  solemn  and  repeated  remonstrance  of  her 
government.  Was  Virginia  consulted  in  the  "  dismemberment"  of 
her  territory  ?  Was  she  made  a  party  to  that  proceeding,  by  which, 
*  *  for  the  first  time  in  colonial  history,  one  new  province  was  created 
within  the  chartered  limits  of  another  by  the  mere  act  of  the  crown." 
But  the  fact  is,  that  Charles  Lord  Baltimore,  who  lived  for  six  years 
after  the  adjustment  of  this  question,  never  did  contest  the  propriety 
of  the  boundary  as  settled  by  the  commissioners,  but  from  all  that 
remains  of  his  views  and  proceedings,  fully  acquiesced  in  its  accu- 
racy and  justice.  (See  the  treaty  with  the  six  nations  of  Indians, 
at  Lancaster,  in  June,  1744). 

The  first  evidence  of  dissatisfaction  with  the  boundary  as  estab- 
lished, which  the  researches  of  the  Maryland  writers  have  enabled 
them  to  exhibit,  are  certain  instructions  from  Frederick  Lord  Balti- 
more (successor  of  Charles)  to  Governor  Sharp,  which  was  pre- 
sented by  the  latter  to  his  council  in  August,  1753.  I  have  not 
been  able  to  procure  a  copy  of  those  instructions,  but  a  recent  his- 
torian of  Maryland,  and  an  ingenious  advocate  of  her  present 
claim,  referring  to  them,  says,  "His  instructions  were  predicted 
upon  the  supposition  that  the  sur\^ey  might  possibly  have  been 
made  with  the  knoivledge  and  co7icurre7ice  of  his  predecessor,  and 
hence  he  denies  the  power  of  the  latter  to  enter  into  any  arrangement 
as  to  the  boundaries,  which  would  extend  beyond  his  life  estate,  or 
conclude  those  in  remainder."  (See  McMahon's  History  of  Mary- 
land, p.  53). 

What  where  the  precise  limitations  of  those  conveyances  made 
by  the  proprietors  of  Maryland,  and  under  which  Frederick  Lord 
Baltimore  denies  the  power  of  his  predecessor  to  enter  into  an  ar- 
rangement as  to  the  boundaries,  which  would  extend  be^^ond  his 
life  estate,  I  am  unable  to  say — my  utmost  researches  have  failed  to 
furnish  me  with  a  copy  of  them — but  they  were  so  far  satisfactory 
to  his  lordship's  legal  conceptions,  as  to  induce  him  to  resist  even  the 
execution  of  a  decree  pronounced  by  Lord  Hardwicke,  in  1750,  (i 
Ves.  Sen.  pp.  444-46)  upon  a  written  compact  as  to  boundaries, 
which  had  been  executed  by  his  predecessor  and  the  Penns,  in 
1732.  To  enforce  submission  to  that  decree,  the  Penns  filed  a 
bill  of  reviver  in  1754,  and  after  an  ineffectual  struggle  of  six 
years.  Lord  Baltimore  was  compelled  with  a  bad  grace  to  submit, 
and  abide  by  the  arrangement  as  to  the  boundaries  which  had  been 
made  by  his  predecessor.    To  this  circumstance,  in  all  probability, 


FAUIyKNKR'S  REPORT. 


was  Lord  Fairfax  indebted  for  his  exemption  from  the  further 
demands  of  the  proprietor  of  Maryland.  For  Lord  Frederick,  no 
ways  averse  to  litigation,  had  by  this  time  doubtless  become  satis- 
fied that  the  power  of  his  predecessor  did  extend  be5'0nd  his  life's 
estate,  and  might  even  conclude  those  in  remainder.  Be  that  as  it 
may,  however,  certain  it  is  that  the  records  of  Maryland  are  silent 
upon  the  subject  of  this  pretension,  from  September,  1753,  until 
ten  years  subsequent  to  the  compact  between  Virginia  and  Maryland 
in  1785. 

An  opinion  prevails  among  our  most  distinguished  jurists, 
resting  solely  upon  traditionary  information,  that  about  1761,  Fred- 
erick Lord  Baltimore  presented  a  petition  to  the  king  and  council, 
praying  a  revision  of  the  adjustment  made  in  1745,  which  petition 
was  rejected,  or  after  a  short  time  abandoned  as  hopeless.  If  there 
ever  was  such  a  proceeding,  I  can  find  nothing  of  it  in  the  archives 
of  Virginia. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  it  is  certain  that  ever  since  1745  Lord  Fair- 
fax claimed  and  held,  and  the  Commonwealth  of  Virginia  constantly 
to  this  day  has  claimed  and  held  by  the  Cohongoroota,  that  is  by 
the  Northern  Branch,  as  the  Potomac,  and  whatever  Lord  Baltimore 
or  his  heirs,  and  the  State  of  Maryland  may  have  claimed,  she  has 
held  by  the  same  boundary.  There  is  no  reason  why  Lord  Fairfax, 
being  in  actual  possession,  should  have  controverted  the  claim  of 
Lord  Baltimore,  or  Maryland.  If  Lord  Baltimore,  or  Maryland, 
ever  controverted  the  boundar}^  the  question  must,  and  either  has 
been  decided  against  them,  or  it  must  have  been  abandoned  as  hope- 
less. If  they  never  controverted  it,  the  omission  to  do  so,  can  only 
be  accounted  for,  upon  the  supposition  that  they  knew  it  to  be  hope- 
less. If  Maryland  ever  asserted  the  claim — seriously  asserted  it  I 
mean — it  must  have  been  before  the  revolution,  or  it  least  during  it, 
when  we  all  knew  she  v*^as  jealous  enough  of  the  extended  territory 
of  Virginia.  The  claim  must  have  had  its  origin  before  the  compact 
between  the  two  States,  of  March,  /7<?5,  (i  Rev.  Code,  ch.  18). 
We  then  held  by  the  same  boundary  by  which  we  now  hold  ;  we 
held  to  what  we  called  and  now  call  the  Potomac  ;  she  then  held  to 
what  we  call  the  Potomac.  It  is  possible  to  doubt  that  this  is  the 
Potomac  recognized  by  the  compact  f  That  compact  is  now  forty- 
seven  years  old. 

I  have  diligently  enquired  whether,  as  the  Potomac  above  the 
confluence  of  the  Shenandoah  was  called  the  Cohongoroota,  the 
stream  now  called  the  South  Branch  of  the  Potomac  ever  had  any 
peculiar  name,  known  to  and  established  among  the  English  set- 
tlers— for  it  is  well  known  that  it  bore  the  name  of  Wappacomo.  I 
never  could  learn  that  it  was  known  by  any  other  name,  but  that 
which  it  yet  bears,  the  South  Branch  of  the  Potomac.  Now  that 
very  name  of  itself  sufficiently  evinces,  that  it  was  regarded  as  a 
tributary  stream  of  another  river,  and  that  river  the  Potomac  ;  and 


FAULKNER'S  REPORT. 


169 


that  the  river  of  which  the  South  Branch  was  the  tributary,  was  re- 
garded as  the  main  stream. 

But  let  us  for  a  moment  concede  that  the  decision  of  the  king  in 
council  was  not  absolutely  conclusive  of  the  present  question  ;  let  us 
concede  that  the  long  acquiesence  of  Maryland  in  that  adjustment 
has  not  precluded  a  further  discussion  of  its  merits  ;  let  us  even  sup- 
pose the  compact  of  1785  thrown  out  of  view,  with  all  the  subse- 
quent recognition  of  the  present  boundary  by  the  legislative  acts  of 
that  State,  and  the  question  between  the  two  streams  now  for  the 
first  time  presented  as  an  original  question  of  preference  ;  v/hat  are 
the  facts  upon  which  Maryland  would  rely  to  show  that  any  other 
stream,  than  the  one  bearing  the  name,  is  entitled  to  be  regarded  as 
the  main  branch  of  the  Potomac  ?  It  were  idle  to  say  that  the  South 
Branch  is  the  Potomac,  because  the  South  Branch  is  a  longer  or 
even  larger  stream  than  the  North  Branch  which  Virginia  claims  to 
hold  by.  According  to  that  sort  of  reasoning,  the  Missouri,  above 
its  confluence  with  the  Mississippi,  is  the  Mississippi,  being  beyond 
comparison  the  longer  and  larger  stream.  The  claim  of  the  South 
Branch,  then,  would  rest  solely  upon  its  great  length.  In  opposition 
to  this  it  might  be  said  that  the  Cohongoroota  is  more  frequently 
navigable — that  it  has  a  larger  volume  of  water — that  the  valley  of 
the  South  Branch  is,  in  the  grand  scale  of  conformation,  secondary  to 
that  of  the  Potomac — that  the  South  Branch  has  not  the  general  direc- 
tion of  that  River,  which  it  joins  nearly  at  right  angles — that  the  val- 
ley of  the  Potomac  is  wider  than  that  of  the  South  Branch,  as  is  also 
the  river  broader  than  the  other.  And  lastly  that  the  course  of  the 
river  and  the  direction  of  the  valley  are  the  same  above  and 
below  the  junction  of  the  South  Branch.  (See  letters  accompan^-- 
ing  this  report  No.  26).  These  considerations  have  been  deemed 
sufficient  to  establish  the  title  to  the  ' '  father  of  waters, ' '  to  the 
name  which  he  has  so  long  borne.  (See  Histor>^  and  Geography  of 
Western  States,  vol.  2,  Missouri).  And  as  they  exist  in  an  equal 
extent,  so  should  they  equally  confirm  to  pre-eminence  which  the 
Cohongoroota  has  now  for  near  a  century  so  proud  and  peacefully 
enjoyed. 

The  claim  of  Maryland  to  the  territory  in  question  is  by  no 
means  so  reasonable  as  the  claim  of  the  great  Frederick  of 
Prussia  to  Silesia,  which  that  Prince  asserted  and  maintained,  but 
which  he  tells  us  himself  he  never  would  have  thought  of  assert- 
ing, if  his  father  had  not  left  him  an  overflowing  treasury  and  a 
pcwerful  army. 

While  this  brief  historical  retrospect,  presented  as  explanatory 
of  the  accompanying  testimony,  I  will  now  lay  before  your  Excel- 
lency, in  chronological  order,  a  list  of  the  documents  and  papers  re- 
ferred to  in  my  preceding  observations. 

No.  I.    Is  the  original  grant  from  King  James  II.  to  Thomas 
Lord  Culpeper,  made  on  the  27th  of  September,  in  the  fourth  year 
of  his  reign. 
22 


» 


I70  FAULKNER'S  REPORT. 

No.  2,  Copy  of  a  letter  from  Major  Gooch,  Lieutenant-gover- 
nor of  Virginia,  to  the  lords  commissioners  for  trade  and  plantations, 
dated  at  Williamsburg,  June  29,  1729. 

No.  3.  Petition  to  the  King  in  Council,  in  relation  to  the 
Northern  Neck  grants  and  their  boundaries,  agreed  to  by  the  House 
of  Burgesses,  June,  30,  1730. 

No.  4.  The  petition  of  Thomas  Lord  Fairfax,  to  his  Majesty 
in  Council,  preferred  in  1733,  setting  forth  his  grants  from  the  crown, 
and  that  there  had  been  divers  disputes  between  the  governor  and 
council  in  Virginia  and  the  petitioner  and  his  agent,  Robert  Carter, 
Esq.,  touching  the  boundaries  of  the  petitioner's  said  tract  of  land, 
and  praying  that  his  Majesty  would  be  pleased  to  order  a  commis- 
sion to  issue  for  running  out,  marking  and  ascertain  the  bounds  of 
the  petitioner's  said  tract  of  land. 

No.  5.  A  copy  of  an  order  of  his  Majesty  to  his  privy  council, 
bearing  date  of  29th  of  November,  1733,  directing  William  Gooch, 
Esq.,  Lieutenant-governor  of  Virginia,  to  appoint  three  or  more 
commissioners,  (not  exceeding  five),  who  in  conjunction  Avith  a  like 
number  to  be  named  and  deputed  by  the  said  Lord  Fairfax,  are  to 
survey  and  settle  the  marks  and  boundaries  of  the  said  district  of 
land  agreeably  to  the  terms  of  the  patent  under  which  the  Lord  Fair- 
fax claims. 

No.  6.  Copy  of  the  commission  from  Lieutenant-governor 
Gooch  to  IVilliam  Byrd,  of  Westover  ;  John  Robinson,  of  Piscataway  ; 
and  Johm  Grymes,  of  Brandon  ;  appointing  them  commissioners  on 
behalf  of  his  Majesty,  with  full  power,  authority,  &c. 

[I  have  not  been  able  to  meet  with  a  copy  of  the  commission  of 
Lord  Fairfax  to  his  commissioners — they  were  William  Beverly^ 
William  Fairfax  and  Charles  Carter.  It  appears  by  the  accom- 
panying report  of  their  proceedings,  that  *'  his  lordship's  commission- 
ers delivered  to  the  king's  commissioners  an  attested  copy  of  their 
commission,"  which  having  been  found  upon  examinatiom  more 
restricted  in  its  authority  than  that  of  the  commissioners  of  the 
crown,  gave  rise  to  some  little  difficulty  which  was  subsequently 
adjusted]. 

No.  7.  Copy  of  the  instructions  on  behalf  of  the  right  honor- 
able Lord  Fairfax,  to  his  commissioners. 

No.  8.  Minutes  of  the  proceedings  of  the  commissioners  ap- 
pointed on  the  part  of  his  Majesty  and  the  right  honorable  Thomas 
Lord  Fairfax,  from  their  first  meeting  of  Fredericksburg,  Septem- 
ber 25th,  1736. 

No.  9.  Original  correspondence  between  the  commissioners 
during  the  year  1736  and  1737,  in  reference  to  the  examination  and 
survey  of  the  Potomac  river. 


FAULKNER'S  REPORT. 


No.  lo.    The  original  field  notes  of  the  survey  of  the  Potomac 
River,  and  the  mouth  of  the  Shenandoah  to  the  head  spring  of  said  ** 
Potomac  River,  hy  Mr.  Benjamin  Winslow. 

No.  II.    The  original  plat   of  the  survey  of  the  Potomac 
River. 

No.  12.  Original  letter  from  John  Savage,  one  of  the  survey- 
ors, dated  January  17,  1737,  stating  the  grounds  upon  which  the 
commissioners  had  decided  in  favor  of  the  Cohongoroota  over  the 
Wappacomo,  as  the  main  branch  of  the  Potomac.  The  former,  he 
says,  is  both  wider  and  deeper  than  the  latter. 

No'  13,  Letter  from  Charles  Carter,  Esq.,  dated  January-  20, 
1737,  exhibiting  the  result  of  a  comparative  examination  of  the 
North  and  South  Branches  of  the  Potomac  River.  The  North  Branch 
at  its  mouth,  he  says,  is  twenty-three  poles  wide,  the  South  Branch 
sixteen,  &c. 

No.  14.  A  printed  map  of  the  Northern  Neck  of  Virginia, 
situated  betwixt  the  Rivers  Potomac  and  Rappahannock,  drawn  in 
the  year  1737,  by  William  Mayo,  one  of  the  king's  sur\^eyors,  ac- 
cording to  his  actual  survey  in  the  preceding  3^ear. 

No.  15.  A  printed  map  of  the  course  of  the  Rivers  Rappa- 
hannock and  Potomac,  in  Virginia,  as  surveyed  according  to  order 
in  1736  and  1737,  (supposed  to  be  by  Lord  Fairfax's  surveyors). 

No.  16.  A  copy  of  the  separate  report  of  the  commissioners 
appointed  on  the  part  of  the  crown.  [I  have  met  with  no  copy  of 
the  separate  report  of  Lord  Fairfax's  commissioners]. 

No.  17.    Copy  of  Lord  Fairfax's  observations  upon  and  excep- 
tions to  the  report  of  the  commissioners  to  the  crown. 

No.  18.  A  copy  of  the  report  and  opinion  of  the  right  honor- 
able the  lords  of  the  committee  of  council  for  plantation  affairs,  dated 
6th  April,  1745. 

No.  19.  The  decision  of  his  Majesty  in  Council,  made  on  the 
nth  of  April,  1745,  confirming  the  report  of  the  council  for  planta- 
tion affairs,  and  further  ordering  the  Lieutenant-governor  of  Vir- 
ginia to  nominate  three  or  more  persons,  (not  exceeding  five) ,  who, 
in  conjunction  with  a  like  number  to  be  named  and  deputed  by  Lord 
Fairfax,  are  to  run  and  mark  out  the  boundary  and  dividing  line, 
according  to  his  decision  thus  made. 

No.  20.  The  original  commissioners  from  Thomas  Lord  Fair- 
fax to  the  Honorable  William  Fairfax,  Charles  Carter  and  William 
Beverly,  Esqrs.,  dated  nth  June,  1745. 

[Col.  Joshua  Fr3%  Col.  Lunsford  Lomax,  and  Major  Peter 
Hedgeman,  were  appointed  commissioners  on  the  part  of  the 
crown] . 


172 


FAULKNER'S  REPORT. 


No.  21.  Original  agreement  entered  into  by  the  commission- 
ers, preparatory  to  their  examination  of  the  Potomac  River. 

No.  22.  The  original  journal  of  the  journey  of  the  commis- 
sioners, surveyors,  &c. ,  from  the  head  spring  of  the  Rappahannock 
to  the  headspring  of  the  Potomac,  in  1746.  [This  is  a  curious  and 
valuable  document,  and  gives  the  only  authentic  narrative  now  ex- 
tant of  the  planting  of  the  Fairfax  Stone] . 

No.  23.  The  joint  report  of  the  commissioners  appointed  as 
well  on  the  part  of  the  crown  as  of  Lord  Fairfax,  in  obedience  to  his 
Majesty's  order  on  nth  of  April,  1735. 

No.  24.  A  manuscript  map  of  the  head  spring  of  the  Potomac 
River,  executed  by  Col.  George  Mercer,  of  the  regiment  commanded 
in  1756  by  General  Washington. 

No.  25.  Copy  of  an  act  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Maryland, 
passed  Februray  19,  18 19,  authorizing  the  appointment  of  commis- 
sioners on  the  part  of  the  State,  to  meet  such  commissioners  as  may 
be  appointed  for  the  same  purpose  by  the  Commonwealth  of  Vir- 
ginia, to  settle  and  adjust,  by  mutual  compact  between  the  two  gov- 
ernments, the  western  limits  of  that  state  of  Commonwealth  of 
Virginia,  to  conunence  at  the  rnost  western  source  of  the  North  Branch 
of  the  Potomac  River ^  and  to  run  a  due  north  course  thence  to  the 
Pennsylvania  line. 

No.  26.  Letters  from  intelligent  and  well-informed  individu- 
als, residing  in  the  country  watered  by  the  Potomac  and  its  branches, 
addressed  to  the  undersigned,  stating  important  geographical  facts 
bearing  upon  the  present  controversy. 

There  are  other  papers  in  my  possession,  not  listed  nor  referable 
to  any  particular  head,  yet  growing  out  of  and  illustrating  the  con- 
troversy between  Lord  Fairfax  and  the  crown  ;  these  are  also  here- 
with transmitted. 

There  are  other  documents  again  not  at  all  connected  with  my 
present  duties,  which  chance  has  thrown  in  my  may,  worthy  of  pres- 
ervation in  the  archives  of  the  State.  Such,  for  example,  as  the 
original  '  *  plan  of  the  line  between  Virginia  and  North  Carolina, 
which  was  run  in  the  year,  1728,  in  the  spring  and  fall,  from  the  sea 
to  Peter's  Creek,  by  the  Hon.  William  Byrd,  Wm.  Dandbridge  and 
Richard  Fitzwilliams,  Esqrs,,  commissioners,  and  Mr.  Alex' r  Irvine 
and  Mr.  William  Mayo,  surveyors — and  from  Peter's  Creek  to  Steep 
Rock  Creek,  was  continued  in  the  fall  of  the  year  1749,  by  Joshua 
Fry  and  Peter  Jefferson."  Such  documents,  should  it  accord  with 
the  views  of  your  Excellency,  might  be  deposited  with  "the  Vir- 
ginia Historical  and  Philosophical  Society,"  an  institution  of  recent 
origin,  yet  founded  upon  the  most  expanded  views  of  public  utility, 
and  which  is  seeking  by  its  patrotic  appeals  to  individual  liberality, 


FAULKNER'S  REPORT. 


173 


to  wrest  from  the  ravages  of  time  the  fast  perishing  records  and 
memorials  of  our  history  and  institutions. 

With  sentiments  of  regard,  I  am,  very  respectfully,  your  obedi- 
ent servant, 

CHARLES  J  AS.  FAULKNER. 
To  John  Fi.oyd,  Esq.,  Governor  of  Virginia. 

After  perusing  this  masterly  exposition,  the  reader  will  be  at  a 
loss  to  conceive  on  what  grounds  Maryland  can  rest  her  claims  to 
the  territory  in  question,  and  what  authorities  she  can  adduce  to 
support  them.  The  controversy  is  still  pending,  and,  in  addition  to 
Mr.  Faulkner,  Col.  John  B.  D.  Smith,  of  Frederick,  and  John  S. 
Gallaher,  Esq. ,  of  Jefferson,  have  been  appointed  commissioners  on  ' 
the  part  of  Virginia. 


174 


LAYING  OFF  THE  COUNTIES. 


CHAIPTER  XIV, 


LAYING  OFF  THE  COUNTIES. 

The  two  counties  of  Frederick  and  Augusta  were  laid  off  at  the 
'  same  session  of  the  colonial  legislature,  in  the  year  1738,  and  in- 
cluded all  the  vast  region  of  country  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  Pre- 
vious to  that  time  the  count}^  of  Orange  included  all  the  territory 
west  of  the  mountains.  Orange  was  taken  from  Spottsylvania  in 
the  year  1734,  Spottsjdvania  having  previously  crossed  the  Blue 
Ridge,  and  took  in  a  considerable  part  of  what  is  now  the  county  of 
Page.  Previous  to  laying  off  the  county  of  Orange,  the  territory 
west  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  except  the  small  part  which  lay  in  Spott- 
sylvania, does  not  appear  to  have  been  included  in  any  county. 
Spottsylvania  was  laid  off  in  the  year  1720  ;  the  act  for  which  is 
Vv^orded  as  follows  : 

Preamble.  That  the  frontier  towards  the  high  mountains 
are  exposed  to  danger  from  the  Indians,  and  the  late  settlements  of 
the  French  to  the  westward  of  the  said  mountains  :  Enacted, 
Spottsylvania  county,  bounded  upon  Snow  Creek  up  to  the  mill ; 
thence  by  a  southwest  line  to  the  River  North  Ann  ;  thence  up  the 
said  River  as  far  as  convenient,  and  thence  by  a  line  to  be  run  over 
the  high  mountains  to  the  river  on  the  northwest  side  thereof,  ^  so 
as  to  include  the  northern  passage  through  the  said  mountains ; 
thence  down  to  the  said  river  until  it  comes  against  the  head  of  the 
Rappahannock  River ;  thence  by  a  line  to  the  head  of  the  Rappa- 
hannock River,  and  down  that  River  to  the  mouth  of  Snow  Creek  ; 
which  tract  of  land,  from  the  first  of  May,  1721,  shall  become  a 
county,  b}^  the  name  of  Spottsylvania  county." 

Thus  it  appears  that  a  little  more  than  one  hundred  years  ago 
Spottsylvania  was  a  frontier  county,  and  that  the  vast  region  west 
of  the  Blue  Ridge,  with  its  millions  of  people,  has  been  settled  and 
improved  from  an  entire  wilderness.  The  country  for  more  than  a 
thousand  miles  to  the  west  has  been  within  this  short  period  rescued 
from  a  state  of  natural  barbarism,  and  is  now  the  seat  of  the  fine 
arts  and  sciences,  of  countless  millions  of  wealth,  and  the  abode  of 
freedom,  both  religious  and  political.  Judging  from  the  past,  what 
an  immense  prospect  opens  itself  to  our  view  for  the  future.  With- 


*  South  Fork  of  the  Shenandoah. 


LAYING  OFF  THE  COUNTIES. 


175 


in  the  last  half  century,  our  Valley  has  poured  out  thousands  of 
emmigrants,  who  have  contributed  towards  peopling  the  Carolinas, 
Georgia,  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  Ohio,  and  other  regions  south  and 
west,  and  migrations  still  continue. 

It  has  alread}^  been  stated  that  Frederick  county  was  laid  off  in 
the  year  1738.  The  first  court  of  justice  held  in  the  county  was  in 
the  year  1743.  This  delay,  it  is  presumable,  arose  from  the  want  of 
a  sufficient  number  of  Magistrates  to  form  a  quorum  for  the  legal 
transaction  of  business.  The  first  court  was  composed  of  the  fol- 
lowing justices,  to- wit :  Morgan  Morgan,  David  Vance,  Marquis 
Calnies,  Thomas  Rutherford,  William  M'Mahon,  Meredith  Helm, 
George  Hoge  and  John  White.  James  Wood,  clerk.  This  court 
sat  the  first  time,  on  Friday,  the  nth  day  of  November,  1743.  At 
this  term  of  the  court  is  to  be  found  on  record  the  following  entry  : 
Ordered,  that  the  sheriff  of  this  county  build  a  twelve  foot 
square  log  house,  logged  above  and  below,  to  secure  his  prison- 
ers, he  agreeing  to  be  satisfied  with  what  he  shall  be  allowed  him 
for  such  building  by  two  of  the  court,  and  he  not  to  be  answer- 
able for  escape.  This  was  the  first  jail  erected  in  the  county  of 
Frederick. " 

The  County  of  Hampshire  was  the  next  laid  off,  and  was  taken 
from  Frederick  and  Augusta.  This  was  done  in  the  year  1753. 
The  first  court  held  in  this  county  was  in  December,  1757.  Thomas 
B.  Martin,  James  Simpson,  William  Miller,  Solomon  Hedges,  and 
Nathaniel  Kuykendall,  justices,  composed  the  court,  and  Gabriel 
Jones  the  clerk. 

Berkele}^  and  Dunmore  were  taken  from  Frederick  in  the  year 
1772.  In  October,  1777,  the  legislature  altered  the  name  of  Dun- 
more  county  to  Shenandoah.  It  does  not  appear,  from  the  langu- 
age of  the  law,  for  what  particular  reason  this  alteration  was  made. 
It  had  been  named  after  and  in  honor  of  Lord  Dunmore,  the  then 
governor  under  the  royal  government.  But  his  lordship  took  a  most 
decidedly  active  part  in  opposition  to  the  American  Revolution  ;  and 
in  order  to  have  the  liberty  of  wearing  his  head,  took  shelter  on 
board  of  a  British  armed  vessel.  His  conduct  is  pretty  fully  related 
in  Mr.  Jacob's  account  of  Dunmore's  war,  given  in  the  preceding 
pages  ;  and  it  was  doubtless  owing  to  this  cause  that  the  name  of 
Dunmore  county  was  altered  to  that  of  Shenandoah. 

In  the  year  1769,  Botetourt  county  was  taken  from  Augusta. 
In  the  act  is  to  be  found  the  following  clause  :  * '  And  whereas  the 
people  situated  on  the  Mississippi,  in  the  said  county  of  Botetourt, 
will  be  very  remote  from  the  court  house,  and  must  necessarily  be- 
come a  separate  county,  as  soon  as  their  numbers  are  sufiicient, 
w^hich  probably  will  happen  in  a  short  time  ;  Be  it  therefore  enact- 
ed, by  the  authority  aforesaid,  that  the  inhabitants  of  that  part  of 
said  county  of  Botetourt,  which  lies  on  the  said  waters,  shall  be  ex- 
empt from  the  payment  of  any  levies  to  be  laid  by  the  said  county 
court  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  court  house  and  prison  for  the 


176  LAYING  OFF  THE  COUNTIES. 


said  county,"  Thus  it  appears  that  Virginia,  at  that  period,  claimed 
the  jurisdiction  and  territory  of  that  vast  region  of  country  westward 
to  the  Mississippi. 

In  1772  the  County  of  Fincastle  was  taken  from  Botetourt ; 
and  in  1776  Fincastle  was  divided  into  the  counties  of  Kentucky, 
Washington  and  Montgomery,  and  the  name  of  Fincastle  became 
extinct. 

In  the  year  1777  Rockbridge  county  was  taken  from  Augusta 
and  Botetourt.  Rockingham  county,  the  same  year,  was  taken  from 
Augusta,  and  Greenbrier  from  Augusta  and  Botetourt.  The  year 
1776  and  1777  were  remarkable  for  many  divisions  of  the  western 
counties.  West  Augusta,  in  the  year  1775,  by  the  convention  as- 
sembled for  the  purpose  of  devising  a  plan  for  resisting  the  oppres- 
sions of  the  mother  country,  among  other  proceedings  determined, 
that  * '  the  landlords  of  the  district  of  West  Augusta  shall  be  con- 
sidered as  a  distinct  county,  and  have  the  liberty  of  sending  two  dele- 
gates to  represent  them  in  general  convention  as  aforesaid." 

This  is  the  first  account  which  the  author  has  been  able  to  find 
in  our  ancient  statutes  in  relation  to  West  Augusta  as  a  separate  dis- 
trict or  county.  In  fact,  it  does  not  appear  that  we  ever  had  a 
county  legally  established  by  this  name.  It  is  presumable  that  it 
acquired  the  name  by  general  usage,  from  its  remote  and  western 
locality  from  the  seat  of  justice.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  appears  that 
the  district  of  West  Augusta  never  had  its  bounds  laid  off  and  de- 
fined until  the  month  of  October,  1776,  when  it  was  divided  into 
three  distinct  counties,  viz  :  Ohio,  Yohogania,  and  Monongalia. 
By  the  extension  of  the  western  boundary  between  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Virginia,  the  greater  part  of  the  county  Yohogania 
falling  within  the  limits  of  Pennsylvania,  the  residue  was,  by  an 
Act  of  Assembly,  of  1755,  added  to  Ohio,  and  Yohogania  became 
extinct. 

Harrison  county  was  established  in  1784,  taken  from  Monon- 
galia. In  1785  Hardy  county  was  laid  off,  taken  from  Hampshire. 
In  1786  Randolph  county  was  laid  off,  taken  from  Harrison.  In 
1785  Russell  county  was  taken  from  Washington.  In  1787  Pendle- 
ton county  was  taken  from  Augusta,  Hardy  and  Rockingham.  In 

1788  Kanawha  was  taken  from  Greenbrier  and  Montgomery.  In 

1789  Wythe  county  was  taken  from  Montgomery,  and  a  part  of 
Botetourt  added  to  Montgomery.  In  1790  Bath  was  taken  from 
Augusta,  Botetourt  and  Greenbrier.  In  1792  Lee  county  was  taken 
from  Russell  and  in  the  same  year,  Grayson  county  was  taken  from 
Wythe. 

The  author  has  deemed  it  an  interesting  part  of  his  ^vork  to 
give  a  particular  history  of  the  establishment  of  our  counties,  be- 
cause it  goes  to  show  the  rapid  increase  of  our  population,  and  im- 
provement of  our  country,  since  the  termination  of  the  War  of  the 
Revolution.  To  an  individual  born  and  raised  in  the  Valley,  and 
who  is  old  enough  to  recollect  the  passing  events  for  the  last  half 


LAYING  OFF  THE  COUNTIES. 


177 


century — who  was  acquainted  with  the  state  of  our  country  fifty 
.  years  ago,  its  sparse  population,  rude  log  buildings,  and  uncultivat- 
ed manners  and  customs  of  our  ancestors — the  great  improvement  of 
every  thing  calculated  to  better  the  condition  of  human  life,  the  as- 
tonishing change  in  the  appearance  of  our  country,  its  elegant 
buildings,  finely  cultivated  farms,  improved  state  of  society,  &c., 
calculated  almost  to  raise  doubts  in  his  mind  whether  these  vast 
changes  could  possibly  have  taken  place  within  his  little  span  of  ex- 
istence. The  author's  destiny  when  a  youth,  threw  him  into  a  busi- 
ness which  gave  him  an  opportunity  of  exploring  a  considerable  part 
of  the  lower  counties  of  the  Valley,  and  he  has  lately  made  it  his 
business  again  to  explore  the  same  counties  ;  and  if  he  had  been  for 
the  last  forty  years,  shut  up  in  a  dungeon,  and  recently  set  at  liber- 
ty, he  would  almost  doubt  his  own  senses  and  believe  himself  in 
another  country.  A  great  part  of  our  Valley  may  be  said  to  be  ele- 
gantly improved.  * 


*  Capt.  James  Russell,  of  Berkeley,  some  years  ago  built  a  brick  barn 
150  feet  long  and  55  feet  wide.  The  late  Mr.  John  Hite,  in  the  year  1785, 
built  the  first  brick  house  ever  erected  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  This  is  but 
a  small  one-story  building,  and  is  now  owned  by  the  heirs  of  the  late  Mr.  A. 
Neill,  at  the  north  end  of  Stephensburg,  in  the  County  of  Frederick.  In 
1787  Mr.  Hite  built  a  merchant  mill,  which  was  at  that  time  considered  the 
finest  mill  in  the  Valley.    It  is  now  hardly  considered  a  second  rate  mill 


« 


23 


178  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  TOWNS. 


CPIAPTER  XV. 

ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  TOWNS. 

About  the  year  1738,  there  were  two  cabins  erected  near  the 
Run,  in  Winchester.  ^  The  author  regrets  that  he  has  not  been  able 
to  ascertain  the  names  of  the  first  settlers  in  this  town.  Tradition 
however  relates  that  they  were  German  families. 

In  the  year  1752  the  legislature  passed  "  an  act  for  the  estab- 
lishing of  the  town  of  Winchester. ' '  In  the  preamble  are  the  follow- 
ing words : 

"  Whereas,  it  has  been  represented  to  the  General  Assembly, 
that  James  Wood,  gentleman,  did  survey  and  lay  out  a  parcel  of 
land  at  the  court  house  f  iu  Frederick  county,  in  twenty-six  lots,  of 
half  an  acre  each,  with  streets  for  a  town,  by  the  name  of  Winches- 
ter, and  made  sale  of  said  lots  to  'divers  persons  who  have  since  set- 
tled and  built  and  continue  building  and  settling  thereon  ;  but  be- 
cause the  same  was  not  laid  off  and  erected  into  a  town  by  act  of 
Assembly,  the  freeholders  and  inhabitants  thereof  will  not  be  entitl- 
ed to  the  like  privileges  enjoj'ed  b}^  the  freeholders  and  inhabitants 
of  other  towns  in  this  colony.  Be  it  enacted,  &c. ,  that  the  said  par- 
cel of  land  lately  claimed  by  the  said  James  Wood,  lying  and  being 
in  the  County  of  Frederick  aforesaid,  together  with  fifty-four  other 
lots  of  half  an  acre  each,  twenty-four  thereof  in  one  or  two  streets 
on  the  east  side  of  the  former  lots,  the  street  or  streets  to  run  par- 
allel with  the  street  already  laid  off,  and  the  remaining  thirty  lots  to 
be  laid  off  at  the  north  end  of  the  aforesaid  twenty-six  with  a  com- 
modious street  or  streets  in  such  manner  as  the  proprietor  thereof, 
the  right  honorable  Thomas  Lord  Fairfax,  shall  see  fit,  be  and  is 
hereby  constituted,  enacted,  and  established  a  town,  in  the  manner 
already  laid  out,  to  be  called  by  and  retain  the  name  of  Winchester, 
and  that  the  freeholders  of  said  town  shall  forever  hereafter  enjoy 

*  A  very  aged  woman,  by  the  name  of  Sperry,  informed  the  author  that 
when  she  first  saw  the  place  where  Winchester  now  stands,  she  was  22  years 
of  age,  and  from  her  age  at  the  time  the  author  conversed  with  her,  (which 
was  in  1809),  he  found  the  year  in  which  she  first  saw  Winchester  to  be  in 
1738,  at  which  time  she  stated  there  were  but  two  small  log  cabins,  and  those 
near  the  run. 

f  Mr.  Jacob  Gibson  informed  the  author  that  he  was  in  Winchester  in 
1755,  and  that  the  court  hovise  was  a  small  cabin,  and  that  he  saw  the  court 
sitting  in  this  cabin. 


ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  TOWNS. 


179 


the  same  privileges  which  the  said  freeholders  of  other  towns  erected 
by  Act  of  Assembly  enjoyed."  This  act  further  provides  that  fairs 
may  be  held  in  the  towns  twice  in  each  year. 

Thus  it  appears  that  the  late  Col.  James  Wood  w^as  the  founder 
of  Winchester,  and  not  Lord  Fairfax  as  has  generally  been  believed. 
The  latter  made  an  addition  to  the  town.  Tradition  relates  that 
Fairfax  was  much  more  partial  to  Stephensburg  than  he  was  to 
Winchester,  and  used  all  his  influence  to  make  Stephensburg  the 
seat  of  justice,  but  that  Wood  out-generaled  his  lordship,  and  by 
treating  one  of  the  justices  with  a  bowl  of  toddy  secured  his  vote  in 
favor  of  Winchester,  which  settled  the  question,  and  that  Fairfax 
was  so  offended  at  the  magistrate  who  thus  sold  his  vote,  that  he 
never  after  spoke  to  him.^ 

The  late  Robert  Rutherford,  Esq.,  opened  the  first  store  ever 
established  in  Winchester.  There  was  soon  a  mixed  population  of 
Germans,  Irish,  and  a  few  English  and  Scotch.  The  national  preju- 
dices which  existed  between  the  Dutch  and  Irish  promised  much 
disorder  and  many  riots.  It  was  customary  for  the  Dutch  on  St. 
Patrick's  Day,  to  exhibit  the  effigy  of  the  saint,  with  a  string  of 
Irish  potatoes  around  his  neck,  and  his  wife  Sheeley,  with  her  apron 
loaded  also  with  potatoes.  This  was  always  followed  by  a  riot.  The 
Irish  resented  the  indignit}^  offered  to  their  saint  and  his  holy 
spouse,  and  a  battle  followed.  On  St.  Michael's  day  the  Irish  would 
retort,  and  exhibit  the  saint  with  a  rope  of  sour  krout  about  his 
neck.  Then  the  Dutch,  like  the  Yankee,  "  felt  chock  full  of  fight" 
and  at  it  they  went  pell-mell,  and  many  a  black  eye,  blood}^  nose, 
and  broken  head,  was  the  result,  j  The  author  recollects  one  of 
these  riots  since  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  The  practice  was  at 
last  put  down  by  the  rigor  with  which  our  courts  of  justice  punished 
the  rioters. 

In  the  month  of  September,  1758,  the  town  of  Stephensburg,  in 
the  County  of  Frederick,  was  established.  The  town  v/as  founded 
by  Peter  Stephens,  who  came  to  Virginia  with  Joist  Hite,  in  the 
year  1732.  The  ruins  of  Stephen's  cabin  are  yet  to  be  seen.  Lewis 
Stephen,  the  late  proprietor  of  the  town,  was  the  son  of  Peter 
Stephens.  He  laid  out  the  town  in  form,  and  applied  to  the  Gener- 
al Assembly  to  have  it  established  by  law,  which  was  done  in  the 
year  1758. 

This  town  was  first  settled  almost  exclusively  by  Germans ;  and 
the  religion,  habits  and  customs,  of  their  ancestors,  were  preser\^ed 
with  great  tenacity  for  many  years.    The  German  language  was  gen- 


*  The  late  John  S.  Woodcock,  Esq.,  communicated  this  fact  to  the  au- 
thor, and  stated  that  he  had  the  information  from  Col.  Martin. 

f  Gen.  Smith  informed  the  author  that  this  practice  was  kept  up  for 
several  years  after  he  settled  in  Winchester,  and  that  several  very  dangerous 
riotos  took  place,  in  which  he  and  other  magistrates  had  to  interpose,  to 
preserve  the  peace. 


i8o  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  TOWNS. 


erally  used  in  this  village  since  the  author's  acquaintance  with  it, 
which  acquaintance  commenced  in  the  year  1784. 

In  the  month  of  November,  1761,  Strasburg,  (commonl^^ 
called  Stover's  town),  was  established  by  law.  This  town  was 
settled  entirely  by  Germans,  and  to  this  day  the  German  language 
is  in  general  use,  though  the  English  language  is  now  generally 
understood,  and  also  spoken  by  the  inhabitants.  It  was  laid  off  by 
Peter  Stover. 

Staunton,  in  the  county  of  Augusta,  was  laid  off  by  William 
Beverly,  Esq. ,  and  established  by  the  Act  of  the  General  Assembly 
in  November,  1761.    The  first  settlers  were  principally  Irish. 

In  March,  1761,  Woodstock  then  in  the  County  of  Fred- 
erick, was  established  by  law.  Jacob  Miller  laid  off  twelve  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  ninety-six  of  which  were  divided  into  half- 
acre  lots,  making  one  hundred  and  ninety-two  building  lots,  the  re- 
mainder into  streets  and  five  acre  lots,  commonly  called  out-lots. 
This  town  appears  to  have  been  originally  laid  out  upon  a  larger 
scale  than  any  of  our  ancient  villages.  Eike  most  of  our  towns  it 
was  settled  exclusively  by  Germans,  and  their  religion,  customs, 
habits,  manners  and  language,  were  for  a  long  time  preserved 
and  to  this  day  the  German  language  is  generally  in  use  by  the 
inhabitants. 

Mecklenburg  (Sheperdstown),  then  in  the  County  of  Frederick, 
now  in  Jefferson,  was  established  by  law  in  the  month  of  Novem- 
ber, 1762.  This  village  is  situated  immediately  on  the  bank  of  the 
Cohongoroota  (Potomac)  about  twelve  miles  above  Harpers- Ferry. 
It  was  laid  off  by  the  late  Capt.  Thomas  Shepherd,  and  was  first 
settled  chiefly  by  German  mechanics.  It  is  remarkable  for  its  being 
the  place  where  the  first  steam  boat  was  ever  constructed  in  the 
world.  Mr.  James  Rumsey,  in  the  year  1788,  built  a  boat,  which 
was  propelled  by  steam  against  a  brisk  current.  There  are  some  of 
the  machinery  now  to  be  seen,  in  the  possession  of  Capt.  Haines, 
in  that  place. 

Romney,  in  the  County  of  Hampshire,  was  laid  off  by  the  late 
Lord  Fairfax,  and  established  by  law  in  the  month  of  November, 
1762.  His  lordship  laid  off  fifty  acres  into  streets  and  half-acre  lots  ; 
but  the  town  improved  but  slowly.  It  does  not  contain  more  than 
fifty  families  at  this  time.  It  is  nevertheless  a  place  of  consid- 
erable business  ;  has  a  bank,  printing  office,  several  stores  and 
taverns.  The  new  Parkersburg  turnpike  road  passes  through  it, 
which  will  doubtless,  when  completed,  give  it  many  great  ad- 
vantages. 

In  February,  1772,  Fincastle,  in  the  County  of  Botetourt,  was 
established.  Israel  Christian  made  a  present  of  forty  acres  of  land 
to  the  justices  of  Botetourt  court,  for  the  use  of  the  county.  The 
court  laid  off  the  said  forty  acres  of  land  into  lots,  and  applied  to  the 
legislature  to  have  the  town  established  by  law,  which  wag  done 
accordingly. 


I 


ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  TOWNS.  i8i 


In  October,  1776,  first  year  of  the  commonwealth,  the  town  of 
Bath,  at  the  Warm  Springs,  in  the  County  of  Berkeley,  (now  the 
seat  of  justice  for  Morgan  county),  was  established,  and  laid  off  by 
Act  of  Assembly. 

Preamble.  Whereas  it  has  been  represented  to  the  General 
Assembly,  that  the  laying  off  of  50  acres  of  land  in  lots  and  streets  fos 
a  town  at  the  Warm  Springs,  in  County  of  Berkeley,  will  be  of  great 
utility,  by  encouraging  the  purchasers  thereof  to  build  convenient  \ 
houses  for  accommodating  numbers  of  infirm  persons,  who  frequent 
those  springs  yearly  for  the  recovery  of  their  health  ;  Be  it  enacted, 
&c.,  that  fifty  acres  of  land  adjoining  the  said  springs,  being  part 
of  a  large  tract  of  land,  the  property  of  the  right  honorable  Thomas 
Lord  Fairfax,  or  other  person  or  persons  holding  the  same  by  a 
grant  or  conveyance  from  him,  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  vested  in 
Bryan  Fairfax,  Thomas  Bryan  Martin,  Warner  Washington,  the 
Rev.  Reverend  Charles  Mynn  Thurston,  Robert  Rutherford,  Thos. 
Rutherford,  Alexander  White,  Philip  Pendleton,  Samuel  Washing- 
ton, William  EUzey,  Van  Swearingen,  Thomas  Hite,  James  Ed- 
mundson  and  James  Nourse,  gentlemen,  trustees,  to  be  by  them,  or 
any  seven  of  them,  laid  out  into  lots  of  one  quarter  of  an  acre  each, 
with  convenient  streets,  which  shall  be  and  the  same  is  herebj^  es- 
tablished a  town,  by  the  name  of  Bath." 

The  author  has  been  the  more  particular  in  making  the  fore- 
going extract  from  the  Act  of  the  Legislature,  because  this  appears 
to  be  the  first  instance  under  our  republican  government  in  which 
the  legislature  took  the  authority  of  establishing  and  laying  out  a 
town  upon  the  land  of  private  individuals,  without  the  consent  of 
the  owner  of  the  land.  It  is  possible  Lord  Fairfax  assented  to  the 
laying  off  of  the  town  ;  but  if  he  did,  there  is  nothing  in  the  langu- 
age of  the  act  which  goes  to  show  it. 

In  the  month  of  October,  1777,  Lexington,  in  the  County  of 
Rockbridge,  was  established.  Extract  from  the  law:  "  And  be  it 
further  enacted,  that  at  the  place  w^hich  shall  be  appointed  for  hold- 
ing courts  in  the  said  County  of  Rockbridge,  there  shall  be  laid  off 
a  town,  to  be  called  Lexington,  thirteen  hundred  feet  in  length  and 
nine  hundred  in  width.  *  And  in  order  to  make  satisfaction  to  the 
proprietors  of  the  said  land,  the  clerk  of  the  said  county  shall,  by 
order  of  the  justices,  issue  a  writ,  directed  to  the  sheriff,  command- 
ing him  to  summon  tw^elve  able  and  disinterested  freeholders,  to 
meet  on  the  said  land,  on  a  certain  day,  not  under  five  nor  over  ten 
days  from  date,  who  shall  upon  oath  value  the  said  land,  in  so  man}^ 
parcels  as  there  shall  be  sepearate  owners,  which  valuation  the 
sheriff  shall  return,  under  the  hands  and  seals  of  the  said  jurors,  to 
the  Clerk's  office  :  and  the  justices,  at  laying  their  first  county  levy, 
shall  make  provision  for  paying  the  said  proprietors  their  respective 
proportions  thereof  ;  and  the  property  of  the  said  land,  on  the  re- 


*  This  was  truly  upon  a  small  stale. 


1 82  BSTABIvISHMENT  OF  THE  TOWNS. 

turn  of  the  said  valuation,  shall  be  vested  in  the  justices  and  their 
successors,  one  acre  thereof  to  be  reserved  for  the  use  of  the  said 
county,  and  the  residue  to  be  sold  and  conveyed  by  the  said  justices 
to  any  persons,  and  the  money  arising  from  such  sale  to  be  applied  to- 
wards lessening  the  county  levey  ;  and  the  public  buildings  for  the 
said  countj^  shall  be  erected  on  the  land  reserved  as  aforesaid." 
From  this  it  appears  that  the  name  of  the  town  was  fixed  by  law  be- 
fore the  site  is  marked  out. 

Moorefield  was  also  established  in  the  month  of  October,  1777, 
in  the  County  of  Hampshire,  now  the  seat  of  justice  for  the  County 
of  Hardy.  Extract  from  the  Act  of  the  Assembly  :  "  Whereas  it 
has  been  represented  to  this  present  General  Assembly,  that  the 
establishing  a  town  on  the  lands  of  Conrad  Moore  in  the  County  of 
Hampshire,  would  be  of  great  advantage  to  the  inhabitants,  by  en- 
couraging tradesmen  to  settle  amongst  them  ;  Be  it  therefore  enact- 
ed, &c.,  that  sixty-two  acres  of  land  belong  to  the  said  Conrad 
Moore,  in  the  most  convenient  place  for  a  town,  be,  and  the  same  is 
hereby  vested  in  Garret  Vanmeter,  Abel  Randall,  Moses  Hutton, 
Jacob  Read,  Jonathan  Heath,  Daniel  M'Neil,  and  George  Renneck, 
gentlemen,  trustees,  to  be  by  them,  or  any  four  of  them,  laid 
out  into  lots  of  half  an  acre  each,  with  convenient  streets,  which 
shall  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  established  a  town  by  the  name  of 
Moorefield." 

Martinsburg  was  established  in  the  month  of  October,  1778. 
Extract  from  the  law  :  "  Whereas  it  has  been  represented  to  this 
present  General  Assembly,  that  Adam  Stephens,  Esq.,  had  lately 
laid  off  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  land  in  the  County  of 
Berkeley,  where  the  court  house  now  stands,  in  lots  and  streets  for 
a  town,  &c. ;  Be  it  enacted,  &c.,  that  the  said  one  hundred  and 
thirty  acres  of  land  laid  out  into  lots  and  streets,  agreeably  to  apian 
and  survey  thereof  made,  containing  the  number  of  two  hundred  and 
sixty-nine  lots,  as,  by  the  said  plan  and  survey,  relation  thereunto 
being  had,  may  more  fully  appear,  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  vested 
in  James  M'Alister,  Joseph  Mitchell,  Anthony  Noble,  Jas.  Strode, 
Robert  Carter  Willis,  William  Patterson  and  Philip  Pendleton, 
gentleman,  trustees,  and  shall  be  established  a  town  by  the 
name  of  Martinsburg."  The  town  was  named  after  the  late  Col. 
T.  B.  Martin. 

Tradition  relates  that  an  animated  contest  took  place  between 
the  late  Gen.  Adam  Stephen  and  Jacob  Hite,  Esq.,  in  relation  to 
fixing  the  seat  of  justice  for  this  county  ;  Hite  contending  for  the 
location  thereof  on  his  own  land,  at  what  is  now  called  Leetown,  in 
the  County  of  Jefferson,  Stephen  advocating  Martinsburg.  Stephen 
prevailed,  and  Hite  became  so  disgusted  and  dissatisfied  that  he  sold 
out  his  fine  estate,  and  removed  to  the  frontier  of  South  Carolina. 
Fatal  remove  !  He  had  not  been  long  settled  in  that  state  before 
the  Indians  murdered  him  and  several  of  his  family  in  the  most 


ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  TOWNS.  183 


shocking  and  barbarous  manner.*  It  is  said  that  the  ^evening  before 
this  bloody  massacre  took  place,  an  Indian  squaw,  who  was  much 
attached  to  Mrs.  Hite,  t  called  on  her  and  warned  her  of  the  in- 
tended massacre,  and  advised  her  to  remove  with  her  little  children 
to  a  place  of  safety.  Mrs.  Hite  immediately  communicated  this 
intelligence  to  her  husband,  who  disbelieved  the  information, 
observing,  "  the  Indians  were  too  much  attached  to  him  to  do  him 
any  injury."  The  next  morning,  however,  when  it  was  fatally  too 
late  to  escape,  a  party  of  Indians,  armed  and  painted  in  their  usual 
war  dress,  called  on  Hite,  and  told  Hite  they  had  determined  to  kill 
him.  It  was  in  vain  that  he  pleaded  his  friendship  for  them,  and 
the  many  services  he  had  rendered  their  nation  ;  their  fell  purpose 
was  fixed,  and  nothing  could  appease  them  but  his  blood,  and  that 
of  his  innocent,  unoffending  and  helpless  wife  and  children.  They 
commenced  their  operations  by  the  most  cruel  tortures  upon  Mr. 
Hite,  cutting  him  to  pieces,  a  joint  at  a  time  ;  and  whilst  he  was 
thus  in  the  most  violent  agonies,  they  barbarously  murdered  his  wife 
and  several  of  her  little  offspring..  After  Mr.  Hite,  his  wife,  and 
several  of  the  children  were  dispatched,  they  took  two  of  his  daugh- 
ters, not  quite  grown,  and  all  his  slaves  as  prisoners.  They 
also  carried  off  what  plunder  they  choose,  and  their  booty  was  con- 
siderable. 

Mr.  Hite  kept  a  large  retail  store,  and  dealt  largely  with  the 
Creek  and  Cherokee  tribes.  It  is  said  that  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Parish,  who  went  to  Carolina  with  Hite,  and  to  whom  Hite  had 
been  very  friendly,  growing  jealous  of  Hite's  popularity  with  the 
Indians,  instigated  the  savages  to  commit  the  murder.  About  the 
year  1784  or  1785,  the  author  saw  the  late  Capt.  George  Hite,  (who 
had  been  an  officer  in  the  Revolutionary  Army),  and  who  had  just 
returned  from  an  unsuccessful  search  after  his  two  young  sisters, 
who  were  taken  captive  at  the  time  of  the  murder  of  their  father. 
He  had  traversed  a  great  part  of  the  Southern  country,  among  the 
various  tribes  of  Indians,  but  never  could  hear  anything  of  them. 
Capt.  Hite,  some  short  time  after  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  recov. 
ered  a  part  of  his  father's  slaves,  who  had  been  taken  off  by  the  In- 
dians, one  of  whom  is  now  owned  by  Maj.  Isaac  Hite,  of  Frederick 
county.  This  woman  brought  home  an  Indian  son,  whom  the  au- 
thor has  frequently  seen,  and  who  had  all  the  features  of  an  Indian. 
A  part  of  Hite's  slaves  are  to  this  day  remaining  with  the  Indians, 
and  are  kept  in  rigorous  slavery.  In  the  winter  1815-16,  the  au- 
thor fell  in  with  Col.  William  Triplett,  of  Wilkes  county,  Georgia, 
who  informed  him,  that  in  the  autumn  of  the  year,  1809  he  was 
traveling  through  the  Creek  country,  and  saw  an  old  negro  man 
who  told  him  he  was  one  ot  Jacob  Hite's  slaves,  taken  when  his 

*  Col.  James  Hite,  of  Jefferson  county,  related  this  tradition  to  the 
author. 

f  Mrs.  Hite  was  the  sister  of  the  late  Col.  J.  Madison,  of  Orange  connty, 
Virginia,  and  of  course  aunt  to  ex-president  Madison. 


1 84  ESTABI.ISHMENT  OF  THE  TOWNS. 


master  and  family  were  murdered  in  South  Carolina.  He  further 
informed  Col.  Triplett,  that  there  were  then  sixty  negroes  in 
possession  of  the  Indians,  descended  from  slaves  taken  from  Hite, 
the  greater  number  of  whom  were  claimed  by  the  little  Tallapoosa 
king. 

In  Octotber,  1778,  the  town  of  Abington  was  established  in 
Washington  county. 

In  the  month  of  May,  1780,  the  town  of  Harrisonburg,  in  the 
county  of  Rockingham,  was  established.  It  appears  that  Mr. 
Thomas  Harrison  had  laid  off  fifty  acres  of  land  into  lots  and  streets, 
and  the  legislature  simply  confirmed  what  Mr.  Harrison  had  done, 
without  appointing  trustees  for  the  town,  as  was  the  usual  prac- 
tice. The  privileges,  however,  granted  b^^  law  to  the  citizens  of 
other  incorporated  town,  were  given  to  the  inhabitants  of  Harri- 
sonburg. 

In  the  month  of  October,  1782,  the  town  of  Lewisburg,  in  the 
County  of  Greenbrier,  was  established.  The  Act  of  Assembly  ap- 
propriates forty  acres  of  land  at  the  court  house,  to  be  laid  off  into 
half  acre  lots  and  streets.  Samuel  I^ewis,  James  Reid,  Samuel 
Brown,  Andrew  DonnoUy,  John  Stuart,  Archer  Matthews,  William 
Ward  and  Thomas  Edgar,  gentlemen,  were  appointed  trustees. 

In  October,  1785,  Clarksburg,  in  the  County  of  Harrison, 
was  established.  William  Haymond,  Nicholas  Carpinert,  John 
Myers,  John  M' Alley  and  John  Davison,  gentlemen,  were  appointed 
trustees. 

In  the  same  month  and  year,  Morgantown,  in  the  County  of 
Monongalia,  was  establisUed.  The  act  appropriates  fifty  acres  of 
land,  the  property  of  Zackquell  Morgan,  to  be  laid  off  into  lots  and 
streets  for  a  town  ;  Samuel  Hanway  John  Evans,  David  Scott, 
Michael  Keames  and  James  Daugherty,  trustees. 

In  October,  1786,  Charlestown,  in  the  County  of  Berkeley, 
(now  the  seat  of  justice  of  the  County  of  Jefferson),  was  establish- 
ed. This  town  was  laid  off  by  the  late  Col.  Charles  Washington,  a 
brother  to  the  illustrious  Gen.  George  Washington,  on  his  own 
land.  Eighty  acres  were  divided  into  lots  and  streets  ;  and  John 
Augustine  Washington,  William  Drake,  Robert  Rutherford,  James 
Crane,  Cato  Moore,  Mangus  Tate,  Benjamin  Rankin,  Thornton 
Washington,  Wm.  Eittle,  Alex'r  White  and  Richard  Ranson,  weer 
appointed  trustees.  This  town  bears  the  christian  name  of  its 
proprietor. 

In  the  year  1787,  Frankfort,  in  Hampshire  county,  was  estab- 
lished. One  hundred  and  thirty-nine  acres  of  land  were  laid  off  into 
lots  and  streets,  with  out-lots,  by  John  Sellars.  John  Mitchell,  An- 
drew Cooper,  Ralph  Humphreys,  John  Williams,  Sr.,  James  Clark, 
Richard  Stafford,  Hezekiah  Whiteman  and  Jacob  Brookhart, 
as  trustees. 

In  the  month  of  October,  1787,  the  town  of  West  Eiberty,  in 
the  County  of  Ohio,  was  established.    Sixty  acres  of  land  was  laid 


ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  TOWNS.  185 

off  into  lots  and  streets  by  Ruben  Foreman  and  Providence  Mounts. 
Moses  Chapline,  George  M'CuUough,  Charles  Willis,  Van  Swear- 
^  ingen,  Zachariali  Sprigg,  James  Mitchell  and  Benjamin  Briggs 
were  appointed  trustees. 

In  the  same  month  and  year,  Middletown,  in  the  County  of 
Berkeley,  (commonly  called  Gerrardstown) ,  was  established.  This 
town  was  laid  oif  by  the  late  Rev.  David  Gerrard,  and  contained 
one  hundred  lots.  William  Henshaw,  James  Haw%  John  Gray,  Gil- 
bert M'Kewan  and  Robert  Allen,  were  appointed  trustees. 

The  same  year  and  month,  the  town  of  Watson,  (commonly 
called  Capon  Springs),  in  the  County  of  Hampshire,  was  established. 
Twenty  acres  of  land  to  be  laid  off  in  lots  and  streets.  Elias  Poston, 
Henry  Fry,  Isaac  Hawk,  Jacob  Hoover,  John  Winterton,  Valentine 
Swisher,  Rudolph  Bumgardner,  Paul  M'lvor,  John  Sherman  Wood- 
cock and  Isaac  Zane,  gentlemen,  trustees. 

In  1788,  Front  Royal  was  established,  in  the  County  of  Fred- 
erick. Fifty  acres  of  land,  the  property  of  Solomon  Vanmeter, 
James  Moore,  Robert  Haines,  William  Cunningham,  Peter  Halley, 
John  Smith,  Allen  Wiley,  Original  Wroe,  George  Chick,  William 
Morris  and  Henry  Trout,  was  laid  out  into  lots  and  streets, 
and  Thomas  Allen,  Robert  Russell,  William  Headly,  William  Jen- 
nings, John  Hickman,  Thomas  Hand  and  Thomas  Buck,  gentle- 
men, trustees. 

The  same  year  and  month,  Pattonsburg,  in  the  County  of  Bote- 
tourt, on  James  River,  was  established.  Crowsville,  in  Botetourt, 
was  established  at  the  same  time. 

In  1790,  Beverley  was  laid  off  and  established,  a  town  in  Ran- 
dolph court  house. 

Frontville,  at  the  Sweet  Springs,  and  Springfield  in  the  Coun- 
ty of  Hampshire,  were  severally  laid  off  and  established  in  Octo- 
ber, 1790. 

In  October,  1791,  Darkville,  in  Berkeley,  Keilstown  in  Rock- 
ingham, and  Charlestown  in  Ohio  Counties,  were  severally  establish- 
ed. This  concludes  the  author's  account  of  the  establishment  of  the 
various  towns  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  within  the  present  western 
limits  of  Virginia,  from  the  earliest  settlement  of  the  country  to  the 
year  1792  Inclusive. 

The  history  of  the  establi:shment  of  the  towns  in  Western 
Virginia,  from  the  earliest  settlement  of  the  country  to  the  year 
1792  inclusive,  is  gathered  from  Hening's  Statutes  at  Large,  which 
brings  the  Acts  of  the  Legislature  no  further  than  that  period.  To 
continue  the  list  to  the  present  time,  would  require  an  examination 
of  the  various  session  acts  since  1792,  which  it  would  be  difficult  to 
obtain,  perhaps,  except  in  Richmond,  to  which  place  it  would  not 
suit  the  author's  earliest  convenience  to  make  a  journey.  As  he 
confidently  anticipated  a  demand  f6r  a  second  edition  of  this  work, 
he  will  in  the  mean  time  make  perfect  the  portion  of  the  history  of 
our  country  for  future  insertion. 


24 


NOTES. 


On  ti^e  Settlement  and  Irjdian  Wars  of  the  Western 
Parts  of  Virginia  and  PennsylvoQia,  prom  tbie  Year 
Ooe  TiQousand  Seven  H'^r^dred  and  Sixty-three  un- 
til the  year  OQe  Thousand  Seveo  Hundred  and 
Eighty-three  Inclusive,  Together  v/ith  a  View  of  tl^e 
State  of  Society  ar)d  Manners  of  the  first  Set- 
tlers of  ti^at  CouQtry. 

By  the  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph  Doddridge 


CHAPTER  I. 

PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS  OF  THE  CHARACTER  OF 
THE  INDIAN  MODE  OF  WARFARE,  AND  ITS  ADOPTION 
BY  THE  WHITE  PEOPLE.  

This  is  a  subject  which  presents  human  nature  in  its  most  re- 
volting features,  as  subject  to  a  vindicative  spirit  of  revenge,  and  a 
thirst  of  human  blood,  leading  to  an  indiscriminate  slaughter  of  all 
ranks,  ages  and  sexes,  by  the  weapons  of  war,  or  by  torture. 

The  history  of  man  is,  for  the  most  part,  one  continued  detail 
of  bloodshed,  battles  and  devastations.  War  has  been,  from  the  ear- 
liest periods  of  history,  the  almost  constant  employment  of  individu- 
als, clans,  tribes  and  nations.  Fame,  one  of  the  most  potent  objects 
of  human  ambition,  has  at  all  times  been  the  delusive,  but  costly  re- 
ward of  military  achievement.  The  triumph  of  conquest,  the  epithet 
of  greatness,  the  throne  and  the  sceptre,  have  uniformly  been  pur- 
chased by  the  conflict  of  battle  and  garments  rolled  in  blood. 

If  the  modern  European  laws  of  warefare  have  softened  in  some 
degree  the  horrid  features  of  national  conflicts,  by  respecting  the 
rights  of  private  property,  and  extending  humanity  to  the  sick, 
wounded  and  prisoners  ;  we  ought  to  reflect  that  this  amelioration  is 
the  effect  of  civilization  only.  The  natural  state  of  war  knows  no 
such  mixture  of  mercy  with  cruelty.  In  his  primitive  state,  man 
knows  no  object  in  his  wars,  but  that  of  the  extermination  of  his 
enemies,  either  by  death  or  captivity. 

The  wars  of  the  Jews  were  exterminatory  in  their  object.  The 
destruction  of  a  whole  nation  v/as  often  the  result  of  a  single  cam- 
paign. Even  the  beasts  themselves  were  sometimes  included  in  the 
general  massacre. 


INDIAN  WARFARE. 


The  present  war  between  tlie  Greeks  and  the  Turks  is  a  war 
upon  the  ancient  model,  a  war  of  utter  extermination. 

It  is,  to  be  sure,  much  to  be  regretted,  that  our  people  so  often 
follow  the  cruel  examples  of  the  Indians,  in  the  slaughter  of  prison- 
ers, and  sometimes  women  and  children  ;  yet  let  them  receive  a  can- 
did hearing  at  the  bar  of  reason  and  justice,  before  they  are  con- 
demned as  barbarians,  equally  with  the  Indians  themselves. 

History  scarcely  presents  an  example  of  a  civilized  nation  carry- 
ing on  a  war  with  barbarians  without  adopting  the  mode  of  warfare 
of  the  barbarous  nation.  The  ferocious  Suwarrow,  when  at  war 
with  the  Turks,  was  as  much  of  a  savage  as  the  Turks  themselves. 
His  slaughter  was  as  indiscriminate  as  theirs  ;  but  during  his  wars 
against  the  French,  in  Italy,  he  faithfully  observed  the  laws  of 
civilized  warfare. 

Were  the  Greeks  now  at  war  with  a  civilized  nation,  we  should 
hear  nothing  of  the  barbarities  which  they  have  committed  on  the 
Turks  ;  but  being  at  war  with  barbarians,  the  principle  of  self-de- 
fense compels  them  to  retaliate  on  the  Turks  the  barbarities  which 
they  commit  on  them. 

In  the  last  rebellion  in  Ireland,  that  of  the  United  Irishmen, 
the  government  party  were  not  much  behind  the  rebels  in  acts  of 
lawless  cruelty.  It  was  not  by  the  hands  of  the  executioner  alone 
they  perished.  Summary  justice,  as  it  was  called,  was  sometimes 
inflicted.  How  many  perished  under  the  torturing  scourge  of  the 
drummer  for  the  purpose  of  extorting  confessions  !  These  extra-ju- 
dicial executions  were  attempted  to  be  justified  on  the  ground  of  the 
necessity  of  the  case. 

Our  Revolutionary  War  has  a  double  aspect ;  on  the  one  hand  we 
carried  on  a  war  with  the  English,  in  which  we  observed  the  max- 
ims of  civilized  warfare  with  the  utmost  strictness  ;  but  the  brave, 
the  potent,  the  magnanimous  nation  of  our  forefathers  had  asso- 
ciated with  themselves,  as  auxiliaries,  the  murderous  tomahawk 
and  scalping  knife  of  the  Indian  nations  around  our  defenceless 
frontiers,  leaving  those  barbarous  sons  of  the  forest  to  their  own  sav- 
age mode  of  warfare,  to  the  full  indulgence  of  all  their  native  thirst 
for  human  blood. 

On  them,  then,  be  the  blame  of  all  the  horrid  features  of  this  war 
between  civilized  and  savage  men,  in  which  the  former  was  compel- 
led, by  every  principle  of  self-defense,  to  adopt  the  Indian  mode  of 
warfare,  in  all  its  revolting  and  destructive  features. 

Were  those  who  were  engaged  in  the  war  against  the  Indians, 
less  humane  than  those  who  carried  on  the  war  against  their  English 
allies  ?  No,  they  were  not.  Both  parties  carried  on  the  war  on  the 
same  principle  of  reciprocity  of  advantages  and  disadvantages.  For 
example,  the  English  and  Americans  each  take  one  thousand  prison- 
ers ;  they  are  exchanged  ;  neither  army  is  weakened  by  this  arrange- 
ment. A  sacrifice  is  indeed  made  to  humanity,  in  the  expense  of 
taking  care  of  the  sick,  wounded  and  prisoners  ;  but  this  expense  is 


INDIAN  WARFARE. 


mutual.  No  disadvantages  result  from  all  the  clemency  of  modern 
warfare,  except  the  augumentation  of  the  expenses  of  the  war.  In 
this  mode  of  warfare,  those  of  the  nation,  not  in  arms,  are  safe  from 
death  by  the  hands  of  the  soldiers.  No  civilized  warrior  dishonors 
his  sword  with  the  blood  of  helpless  infancy,  old  age,  or  that  of  the 
fair  sex.  He  aims  his  blows  only  at  those  whom  he  finds 
in  arms  against  him.  The  Indians  kills  indiscriminateh\  Child- 
ren are  victims  of  his  vengeance,  because,  if  males,  the}'  may 
hereafter  become  warriors,  or  if  females,  they  may  become  mothers. 
Even  the  fetal  state  is  criminal  in  his  \iew.  It  is  not  enough  that 
the  fetus  should  perish  with  the  murdered  mother  ;  it  is  torn  from 
her  pregnant  womb,  and  elevated  on  a  stick  or  pole,  as  a  trophy  of 
victory  and  an  object  of  horror  to  the  survivors  of  the  slain. 

If  the  Indian  takes  prisoners,  mercy  has  but  little  concern  in  the 
transaction.  He  spares  the  lives  of  those  who  falls  into  his  hands, 
for  the  purpose  of  feasting  the  feelings  of  the  ferocious  vengeance  of 
himself  and  comrades,  b}'  the  torture  of  his  captive  ;  or  to  increase 
the  strength  of  his  nation  by  his  adoption  into  an  Indian  family  ;  or 
for  the  purpose  of  gain,  by  selling  him  for  an  higher  price,  than  his 
scalp  would  fetch,  to  his  christian  allies  of  Canada ;  for  be  it  known 
that  those  allies  were  in  the  constant  practice  of  making  presents  for 
scalps  and  prisoners,  as  well  as  furnishing  the  means  for  carrsiug  on 
the  Indian  war,  which  for  so  many  years  desolated  our  defenceless 
frontiers.  No  lustration  can  ever  blot  out  this  national  stain.  The 
foul  blot  must  remain,  as  long  as  the  page  of  history  shall  con\-ey 
the  record  of  the  foul  transaction  to  future  generations. 

The  author  would  not  open  wounds  which  have,  alas  !  already 
bled  so  long,  but  for  the  purpose  of  doing  justice  to  the  memor}^  of 
his  forefathers  and  relatives,  many  of  whom  perishsd  in  the  defense 
of  their  country,  by  the  hands  of  the  merciless  Indians. 

How  is  a  war  of  extermination,  and  accompanied  with  such 
acts  of  atrocious  cruelt}-,  to  be  met  b}-  those  on  whom  it  was  in- 
flicted ?  Must  it  be  met  b}-  the  lenient  maxims  of  civilized  war- 
fare ?  Must  the  Indian  captive  be  spared  his  life  ?  What  advan- 
tage would  be  gained  by  this  course  ?  The  3'oung  white  prisoners, 
adopted  into  Indian  families,  often  become  complete  Indians  ;  but  in 
how  few  instances  did  ever  an  Indian  become  civilized.  Send  a 
cartel  for  an  exchange  of  prisoners  ;  the  Indians  know  nothing  of 
this  measure  of  clemency  in  war  :  the  bearer  of  the  white  flag  for  the 
purpose  of  effecting  the  exchange  would  have  exerted  his  humanity 
at  the  forfeit  of  his  life. 

Should  my  countrymen  be  still  charged  with  barbarism,  in  the 
prosecution  of  the  Indian  war,  let  him  who  harbor  this  unfavorable 
impression  concerning  them,  portray  in  imagination  the  horrid 
scenes  of  slaughter  which  frequently  met  their  view  in  the  course  of 
the  Indian  war.  Eet  him,  if  he  can  bear  the  reflection,  look  at  help- 
less infancy,  virgin  beauty  and  hoary  age,  dishonored  by  the  ghast- 
ly wounds  of  the  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife  of  the  savage.  Let 


192 


INDIAN  WARFARE. 


him  hear  the  shrieks  of  the  victims  of  the  Indian  torture  by  fire,  and 
smell  the  surrounding  air,  rendered  sickening  by  the  effluvia  of  their 
burning  flesh  and  blood.  Let  him  hear  the  yells,  and  view  the  hellish 
features  of  the  surrounding  circle  of  savage  warriors,  rioting  in  all 
the  luxuriance  of  vengeance,  while  applying  the  flaming  torches  to 
the  parched  limbs  of  the  sufferers,  and  then  suppose  those  murdered 
infants,  matrons,  virgins  and  victims  of  torture,  were  his  friends  and 
relations,  his  wife,  sister,  child  or  brother  ;  what  would  be  his  feel- 
ings ?  After  a  short  season  of  grief,  he  would  say  *  *  I  will  now  think 
only  of  revenge." 

Philosophy  shudders  at  the  destructive  aspect  of  war  in  any 
shape  ;  Christianity,  by  teaching  the  religion  of  the  good  Samaritan, 
altogether  forbids  it ;  but  the  original  settlers  of  the  western  reg- 
ions, like  the  greater  part  of  the  world,  were  neither  philosophers 
nor  saints.  They  w^ere  "men  of  like  passions  with  others;"  and 
therefore  adopted  the  Indian  mode  of  warfare  from  necessity  and  a 
motive  of  revenge  ;  with  the  exception  of  burning  their  captives 
alive,  which  they  never  did.  If  the  bodies  of  savage  enemies  were 
sometimes  burned,  it  was  not  until  after  they  were  dead. 

Let  the  voice  of  nature  and  the  law  of  nations  plead  in  favor  of 
the  veteran  pioneers  of  the  desert  regions  of  the  west.  War  has 
hitherto  been  a  prominent  trait  in  the  moral  system  of  human  nature, 
and  will  continue  such,  until  a  radical  change  shall  he  effected  in 
favor  of  science,  morals  and  piety,  on  a  general  scale. 

In  the  conflicts  of  nations,  as  well  as  those  of  individuals,  no 
advantages  are  to  be  conceded.  If  mercy  may  be  associated  with 
the  carnage  and  devastation  of  war,  that  mercy  must  be  reciprocal ; 
but  a  war  of  utter  extermination  must  be  met  by  a  war  of  the  same 
character,  and  by  an  overwhelming  force  w^hich  may  put  an  end  to 
it,  without  a  sacrifice  of  the  helpless  and  unoffending  part  of  the 
hostile  nation.  Such  a  force  was  not  at  the  command  of  the  first  in- 
habitants of  this  country.  The  sequel  of  the  Indian  war  goes  to 
show  that  in  a  war  with  savages  the  choice  lies  between  extermina- 
tion and  subjugation.  Our  government  has  wisely  and  humanely 
pursued  the  latter  course. 

The  author  begs  to  be  understood  that  the  foregoing  observa- 
tions are  not  intended  as  a  justification  of  the  whole  of  the  transac- 
tions of  our  people  with  regard  to  the  Indians  during  the  course  of 
the  war.  Some  instances  of  acts  of  wanton  barbarity  occurred  on 
our  side,  which  have  received  and  must  continue  to  receive  the  un- 
equivocal reprobation  of  all  the  civilized  world.  In  the  course  of 
this  history,  it  will  appear  that  more  deeds  of  wanton  barbarity  took 
place  on  our  side  than  the  world  is  now  acquainted  with. 


WAR  OF  1763. 


193 


CHAPTER  II. 

WAR  OF  1763. 

The  treaty  of  peace  between  his  British  Majesty  and  the  kings 
of  France,  Spain  and  Portugal,  concluded  at  Paris  on  the  loth  of 
February,  1763,  did  not  put  an  end  to  the  Indian  war  against 
the  frontier  parts  and  back  settlements  of  the  colonies  of  Great 
Britain. 

The  spring  and  summer  of  1763,  as  w^ell  as  those  of  1764,  desen^e 
to  be  memorable  in  history,  for  the  great  extent  and  destructive 
results  of  a  war  of  extermination,  carried  on  b}'  the  united  forces  of 
all  the  Indian  nations  of  the  western  country,  along  the  shores  of  the 
northern  lakes,  and  throughout  the  whole  extent  of  the  frontier  set- 
tlements of  Pennsylvania,  Virginia  and  North  Carolina. 

The  events  of  this  war,  as  it  relates  to  the  frontier  of  Penns^'l- 
vania  and  the  shores  of  the  lakes,  are  matters  of  history  alread\', 
and  therefore  shall  be  no  farther  related  here  than  is  necessary  to 
give  a  connected  view  of  the  military  events  of  tnose  disastrous  sea- 
sons. The  m.assacres  by  the  Indians  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
Virginia,  so  far  as  the}^  have  come  to  the  know^ledge  of  the  author, 
shall  be  related  more  in  detail. 

The  English  historian  (Hist,  of  England,  vol.  10.  p.  399),  at- 
tribute this  terrible  war  to  the  influence  of  the  French  Jesuits  over 
the  Indians  ;  but  whether  with  much  truth  and  candor,  is,  to  say  the 
least  of  it,  extremel}^  doubtful. 

The  peace  of  1763,  by  which  the  provinces  of  Canada  were 
ceded  to  Britain,  was  offensive  to  the  Indians,  especially  as  they  very 
well  knew^  that  the  English  government,  on  the  ground  of  this 
treaty,  claimed  the  jurisdiction  of  the  western  country  generall}- ; 
and  as  an  Indian  sees  no  difference  between  the  right  of  jurisdiction 
and  that  of  possession,  the}^  consider  themselves  as  about  to  be  dis- 
possessed of  the  whole  of  their  country^  as  rapidly  as  the  English 
might  find  it  convenient  to  take  possession  of  it.  In  this  opinion 
they  were  confirmed  b}-  the  building  of  Forts  on  the  Susquehanna, 
on  lands  to  which  the  Indians  laid  claim.  The  forts  and  posts  of 
Pittsburgh  Bedford,  Ligonier,  Niagara,  Detroit  Presque  Isle,  St. 
Joseph  and  Michilimackinac,  were  either  built,  or  improved  and 
strengthened,  with  additions  to  their  garrisons.  Thus  the  Indians 
saw  themselves  surrounded  on  the  north  and  east  by  a  strong  line  of 

25 


194 


WAR  OF  1763. 


forts,  while  those  of  Bedford,  I^igonier  and  Pittsburg,  threatened  an 
extension  of  them  into  the  heart  of  their  country.  Thus  circum- 
stanced, the  aboriginals  of  the  country  had  to  choose  between  the 
prospect  of  being  driven  to  the  inhospitable  regions  of  the  north  and 
west,  of  negotiating  Vv'ith  the  British  government  for  continuance  of 
the  possession  of  their  own  lands,  or  of  taking  up  arms  for  its  de- 
fense. They  chose  the  latter  course,  in  which  a  smallness  of  their 
numbers,  and  the  scantiness  of  their  resources,  ought  to  have  taught 
them,  that  although  they  might  do  m.uch  mischief,  the}^  could  not 
ultimately  succeed  ;  but  the  Indians,  as  well  as  their  brethren  of  the 
white  skin,  are  often  driven  b}^  their  impetuous  passions  to  rash  and 
destructive  enterprises,  which  reason,  were  permitted  to  give  it  coun- 
sels, would  disapprove. 

The  plan  resolved  on  by  the  Indians  for  the  prosecution  of  the 
war,  was  that  of  a  general  massacre  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
English  settlements  in  the  western  countr}^,  as  well  as  those  on  the 
lands  on  the  Susquehanna,  to  which  they  laid  claim. 

Never  did  military  commanders  of  any  nation  display  more 
skill,  or  their  troops  more  steady  and  determined  bravery,  than  did 
those  red  men  of  the  wilderness  in  the  jrosecution  of  their  gigantic 
plan  for  the  recovery  of  their  country  from  the  possession  of  the 
English.  It  was  indeed  a  war  of  utter  extermination  on  an  extensive 
scale  ;  a  conflict  which  exhibited  human  nature  in  its  native  state,  in 
which  the  cunning  of  the  fox  is  associated  with  the  cruelty  of  the 
tiger.  We  read  the  history  of  this  war  v/ith  feelings  of  the  deepest 
horror  ;  but  why  ?  On  the  part  of  the  savages,  theirs  Vv^as  the  an- 
cient mode  of  warfare,  in  which  there  was  nothing  of  mercy.  If 
science,  associated  with  the  benign  influence  of  the  christian  system, 
has  limited  the  carnage  of  war  to  those  in  arms,  so  as  to  give  the 
right  of  life  and  hospitality  to  women,  infancy,  old  age,  the  sick, 
wounded  and  prisoners,  may  not  a  further  extension  of  the  influence 
of  those  powerful  but  salutory  agents  put  an  end  to  war  altogether  ? 
May  not  future  generations  read  the  history  of  our  civilized  warfare 
with  equal  horror  and  wonder,  that  with  our  science  and  piety  we 
had  wars  at  all ! 

The  English  traders  among  the  Indians  were  the  first  victims  in 
this  contest.  Out  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  of  them,  among  the 
different  nations,  only  two  or  three  escaped  being  murdered.  The 
Forts  of  Presque  Isle,  St.  Joseph  and  Michilimackinac  were  taken, 
with  a  general  slaughter  of  the  garrisons. 

The  Fortresses  of  Bedford,  Ligonier,  Niagara,  Detroit  and  Pitt, 
were  with  difficult}^  preserved  from  being  taken. 

It  was  a  principal  object  with  the  Indians  to  get  possession  of  De- 
troit and  Fort  Pitt,  either  by  assault  or  famine.  The  former  was  at- 
tempted with  regard  to  Detroit.  Fort  Pitt,  being  a  considerable  dis- 
tance from  the  settlements,  were  alone  supplies  could  be  obtained, 
determined  the  savages  to  attempt  its  reduction  by  famine. 

In  their  first  attempt  on  Fort  Detroit,  the  Indians  calculated  on 


WAR  OF  1763. 


195 


taking  possession  of  it  by  stratagem.  A  large  number  of  Indians 
appeared  before  tlie  place  under  a  pretence  of  holding  a  congress 
with  Maj.  Gladwin,  the  commandant.  He  was  on  his  guard  and 
refuse  them  admittance.  On  the  next  da}',  about  five  hundred  more 
of  the  Indians  arrived  in  arms,  and  demanded  leave  to  go  into  the 
Fort,  to  hold  a  treat3\  The  commandant  refused  to  admit  a  greater 
numlDer  than  forty.  The  Indians  understood  his  design  of  detain- 
ing them  as  hostages,  for  the  good  conduct  of  their  comrades  on  the 
outside  of  the  Fort,  and  therefore  did  not  send  them  into  the  place. 
The  whole  number  of  men  in  the  Fort  and  on  board  two  vessels  of 
war  in  the  river,  did  not  exceed  one  hundred  and  ten  or  twelve, 
but  by  means  of  the  cannon  they  possessed,  they  made  shift  to 
keep  the  Indians  at  a  distance,  and  convince  them  that  they  could 
not  take  the  place.  When  the  Indians  were  about  to  retire  Cap- 
tain Dalyel  arrived  at  the  Fort  with  a  considerable  reinforce- 
ment for  the  relief  of  the  place.  He  made  a  sortie  against  the 
breastworks  which  the  Indians  had  thrown  up,  with  two  hun- 
hundred  and.  fort3'-five  men.  This  detachment  was  driven  back 
with  the  loss  of  seventy  men  killed  and  forty-two  wounded. 
Capt.  Dalyel  was  among  the  slain.  Of  one  hundred  men  who  were 
escorting  a  large  quantity  of  provisions  to  Detroit,  sixty-seven  were 
massacred. 

Fort  Pitt  had  been  invested  for  some  time,  before  Capt.  Eca^-er 
had  the  least  prospect  of  relief.  In  this  situation  he  and  his  garri- 
sion  had  resolved  to  stand  it  out  to  the  last  extremity,  and  even 
perish  of  famine,  rather  than  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  savages,  not- 
withstanding the  Fort  was  a  bad  one,  the  garrison  weak,  and  the 
country  between  the  Fort  and  Ligonier  in  possession  of  the  savages, 
and  his  messengers  killed  or  compelled  to  return  back.  In  this 
situation.  Col.  Bouquet  was  sent  by  Gen.  Amherst  to  the  relief  of 
the  place,  with  a  large  quantity  of  provisions  under  a  strong  es- 
cort. This  escort  w^as  attacked  by  a  large  body  of  Indians,  in  a 
narrow  defile,  on  Turtle  Creek,  and  would  have  been  entirely  de- 
feated, had  it  not  been  for  a  successful  strategem  employed  b}'  the 
commander  for  extricating  themselves  from  the  savage  army. 
After  sustaining  a  furious  contest  from  one  o'clock  till  night,  and  for 
several  hours  the  next  morning,  a  retreat  was  pretended,  with  a 
view  to  draw  the  Indians  into  a  close  engagement.  Previous  to 
thismovment,  four  companies  of  infantry-  and  grenadiers  were  placed 
in  ambuscade.  The  plan  succeeded.  When  the  retreat  commenced, 
the  Indians  thought  themselves  secure  of  victory,  and  pressing  for- 
ward with  great  vigor,  fell  into  the  ambuscade,  and  were  dispersed 
with  great  slaughter.  The  loss  on  the  side  of  the  English  was 
above  one  hundred  killed  and  wounded  ;  and  that  of  the  Indians 
could  not  have  been  less.  The  lossv/as  severely  felt  by  the  Indians, 
as  in  addition  to  the  number  of  warriors  who  fell  in  the  engage- 
ment, several  of  the  most  distinguished  chiefs  were  among  the  slain. 
Fort  Pitt,  the  reduction  of  which  they  had  much  at  heart,  was 


196 


WAR  OF  1763. 


now  placed  out  of  their  reach,  by  being  effectually  relieved  and  sup- 
plied with  the  munitions  of  war. 

The  historian  of  the  western  region  of  our  country  cannot  help 
regarding  Pittsburg,  the  present  flourishing  emporium  of  the  north- 
ern part  of  that  region,  and  its  immediate  neighborhood,  as  classic 
ground,  on  account  of  the  memorable  battles  which  took  place  for 
its  possession  in  the  infancy  of  our  settlements.  Braddock's  defeat, 
Maj.  Grant's  defeat,  its  conquest  by  Gen.  Forbes,  the  victory  over 
the  Indians  above  related  by  Maj.  Bouquet,  serve  to  show  the  import- 
ance in  which  this  post  was  held  in  early  times,  and  that  it  was 
obtained  and  supported  by  the  English  government,  at  the  price 
of  no  small  amount  of  blood  and  treasure.  In  the  neighborhood 
of  this  place,  as  well  as  in  the  war-worn  regions  of  the  old  world, 
the  plowshare  of  the  farmer  turns  up  from  beneath  the  surface  of  the 
earth,  the  broken  and  rustv  implements  of  war,  and  the  bones  of  the 
vSlain  in  battle. 

It  was  in  the  course  of  this  war  that  the  dreadful  massacre  of 
Wyoming  took  place,  and  desolated  the  fine  settlements  of  the  New 
England  people  along  the  Susquehanna. 

The  extensive  and  indiscriminate  slaughter  of  both  sexes  and 
all  ages  by  the  Indians,  at  Wyoming  and  other  places,  so  exasper- 
ated a  large  number  of  men,  dominated  the  "  Paxton  boys,"  that 
they  rivalled  the  most  ferocious  of  the  Indians  themselves  in  deeds 
of  cruelty,  which  have  dishonored  the  history  of  our  country,  by  the 
record  of  the  shedding  of  innocent  blood  without  the  slighest  provo- 
cation, deeds  of  the  most  atrocious  barbarity. 

The  Conestoga  Indians  had  lived  in  peace  for  more  than  a  cen- 
tury in  the  neighborhood  of  Lancaster,  Pa.  Their  number  did  not 
exceed  forty.  Against  these  unoffending  descendants  of  the  first 
friends  of  the  famous  William  Penn,  the  Paxton  boys  first  directed 
their  more  than  savage  vengeance.  Fifty-seven  of  them  in  military 
array,  poured  into  their  little  village,  and  instantly  murdered  all 
whom  they  found  at  home,  to  the  number  of  fourteen  men,  women 
and  children.  Those  of  them  who  did  not  happen  to  be  home  at  the 
massacre,  were  lodged  in  the  jail  of  Lancester  for  safety.  But  alas  ! 
this  precaution  was  unavailing.  The  Paxton  boys  broke  open  the 
jail  door,  and  murdered  the  whole  of  them,  in  number  about  fifteen 
or  twenty.  It  was  in  vain  that  these  poor  defenseless  people  protested 
their  innocence  and  begged  for  mercy  on  their  knees.  Blood  was 
the  order  of  the  day  with  those  ferocious  Paxton  boys.  The  death 
of  the  victims  of  their  cruelties  did  not  satisfy  their  rage  for  slaugh- 
ter ;  they  mangled  the  dead  bodies  of  the  Indians  with  their  scalp- 
ing knives  and  tomahawks  in  the  most  shocking  and  brutal  manner, 
scalped  even  the  children  and  chopping  off  their  hands  and  feet  of 
most  of  them. 

The  next  object  of  those  Paxton  boys  was  the  murder  of  the 
christian  Indians  of  the  villages  of  Wequetank  and  Nain.  From  the 
execution  of  this  infernal  design  they  were  prevented  by  the  hu- 


WAR  OF  1763. 


197 


mane  interference  of  the  government  of  Pennsylvania,  which  re- 
moved the  inhabitants  of  both  places  under  a  strong  guard  to 
Philadelphia  for  protection.  They  remained  under  guard  from  No- 
vember, 1763,  until  the  close  of  the  war  in  December,  1764;  the 
greater  part  of  this  time  they  occupied  the  barracks  of  that 
city.  The  Paxton  boys  twice  assembled  in  great  force,  at  no 
great  distance  from  the  city,  with  a  view  to  assault  the  barracks 
and  murder  the  Indians  ;  but  owing  to  the  military  preparations 
made  for  their  reception,  they  at  last  reluctantly  desisted  from  the 
enterprise. 

While  we  read,  with  feelings  of  the  deepest  horror,  the  record 
of  the  murders  which  have  at  different  periods  been  inflicted  on  the 
unoffending  Christians  Indians  of  the  Moravian  profession,  it  is  some 
consolation  to  reflect,  that  our  government  has  had  no  participation 
in  those  murders  ;  but  on  the  contrary,  has  at  all  times  afforded 
them  all  the  protection  which  circumstances  allowed. 

The  principal  settlements  of  Greenbrier  where  those  of  Muddy 
Creek  and  the  Big  Levels,  distance  about  fifteen  or  twenty  miles 
from  each  other.  Before  these  settlers  were  aware  of  the  existence 
of  the  war,  and  supposing  that  the  peace  made  with  the  French 
comprehended  their  Indian  allies  also,  about  sixty  Indians  visited 
the  settlement  of  Muddy  Creek.  They  made  the  visit  under  the 
mask  of  friendship.  They  were  cordially  received  and  treated  with 
all  the  hospitality  which  it  was  in  the  power  of  these  new  settles  to 
bestow  upon  them  ;  but  on  a  sudden,  and  without  any  previous  in- 
timation of  anything  like  an  hostile  intention,  the  Indians  murdered, 
in  cold  blood,  all  the  men  belonging  to  the  settlement,  and  made 
prisoners  of  the  women  and  children. 

Leaving  a  guard  with  their  prisoners,  they  then  marched  to 
the  settlements  in  the  Levels  before  the  fate  of  the  Muddy  Creek 
settlement  was  known.  Here,  as  at  Muddy  Creek,  they  were 
treated  with  the  most  kind  and  attentive  hospitality,  at  the  house 
of  Archibald  Glendennin,  who  gave  the  Indians  a  sumptuous 
feast  of  three  fat  elks,  which  he  had  recently  killed.  Here  a 
scene  of  slaughter,  similar  to  that  which  had  recently  taken  place 
at  Muddy  Creek,  occurred  at  the  conclusion  of  the  feast.  It 
commenced  with  an  old  woman,  who  having  a  very  sore  leg, 
showed  it  to  an  Indian,  desiring  his  advice  how  she  might  cure 
it.  This  requested  he  answered  with  blow  of  the  tomahawk, 
which  instantly  killed  her.  In  a  few  minutes  all  the  men  belonging 
to  the  place  shared  the  same  fate.  The  women  and  children  were 
made  prisoners. 

In  the  time  of  the  slaughter,  a  negro  woman  at  the  spring, 
near  the  house  where  it  happened,  killed  her  own  child  for  fear 
it  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Indians,  or  hinder  her  from  mak- 
ing her  escape. 

Mrs.  Glendennin,  whose  husband  w^ere  among  the  slain,  and 
herself  with  her  children  prisoners,  boldly  charged  the  Indians  with 


WAR  OF  1763. 


perfidity  and  cowardice,  in  taking  advantage  of  the  mask  of 
friendship  to  commit  murder.  One  of  the  Indians  exasperated  at 
her  boldness,  and  stung,  no  doubt,  at  the  justice  of  her  charge 
against  them,  brandishing  his  tomahawk  over  her  head,  and  dashed 
her  husband's  scalp  in  her  face.  In  defiance  of  all  his  threats,  the 
heroine  still  reiterated  the  charges  of  perfidity  and  cowardice  against 
the  Indians. 

The  next  day,  after  marching  about  ten  miles,  while  passing 
through  a  thicket,  the  Indians  forming  a  front  and  rear  guard, 
Mrs.  Glendennin  gave  her  infant  to  a  neighbor  woman,  stepped 
into  the  bushes  without  being  perceived  by  the  Indians,  and 
made  her  escape.  The  cries  of  the  child  made  the  Indians  in- 
quire for  the  mother.  She  was  not  to  be.  found.  "Well,"  says 
one  of  them,  "I  wdll  soon  bring  the  cow  to  her  calf;"  and 
taking  the  child  by  the  feet,  beat  its  brains  out  against  a  tree. 
Mrs.  Glendennin  returned  home  during  the  course  of  the  succeed- 
ing night,  and  covered  the  corpse  of  her  husband  with  fence 
rails.  Having  performed  this  pious  office  for  her  murdered  hus- 
band, she  choose,  as  a  place  of  safety,  a  cornfield,  where,  as  she 
related,  her  heroic  resolution  w^as  succeeded  by  a  paroxysm  of 
grief  and  despondency,  during  which  she  imagined  she  saw  a 
man  with  the  aspect  of  a  murderer  standing  within  a  few  steps 
of  her.  The  reader  of  this  narrative,  instead  of  regarding  this 
fit  of  despondency  as  a  feminine  weakness  on  the  part  of  this 
daughter  of  afiliction,  will  commisserate  her  situation  of  unpar- 
ralleled  destitution  and  distress.  Alone,  in  the  dead  of  night,  the 
survivor  of  all  the  infant  settlements  of  that  district,  w^hile  all  her 
relatives  and  neighbors  of  both  settlements  were  either  prisoners 
or  lying  dead,  dishonored  by  ghastly  wounds  of  the  tomahawk  and 
scalping  knife  of  the  savages,  her  husband  and  her  children  among 
the  slain. 

It  was  some  days  before  a  force  could  be  collected  in  the  eastern 
part  of  Botetourt  and  the  adjoining  country  for  the  purpose  of  bury- 
ing the  dead. 

Of  the  events  of  this  war,  on  the  southwestern  frontier  of 
Virginia,  and  in  ,the  County  of  Holstein,  the  then  western 
part  of  North  Carolina,  the  author  has  been  informed,  farther 
than  that,  on  the  part  of  the  Indians,  it  was  carried  on  with  the 
greatest  activity,  and  its  course  marked  Ynth  many  deeds  of  the 
most  atrocious  cruelty,  until  late  in  the  year  1764,  when  a  period  was 
put  to  this  sanguinary  contest,  by  a  treaty  made  with,  the  Indian  na- 
tions by  Sir  William  Johnston,  at  the  German  Flats. 

The  perfidity  and  cruelty  practiced  by  the  Indians  during  the 
war  of  1763  and  1764,  occasioned  the  revolting  and  singuinary 
character  of  the  Indian  wars  which  took  place  afterwards.  The  In- 
dians had  resolved  on  the  total  extermination  of  all  the  settlers  of 
our  northern  and  southwestern  frontiers,  and  being  no  longer  under  the 
control  of  their  former  allies,  the  French,  they  were  at  full  liberty  to 


WAR  OF  1763. 


199 


exercise  all  their  native  ferocity,  and  riot  in  the  indulgence  of  their 
innate  thirst  for  blood. 

[Next  follows,  in  Dr.  Doddridge's  work,  his  account  of  Dun- 
more' s  war,  which  the  author  of  this  history  has  transferred  to  the 
chapter  under  that  head  in  the  proceeding  pages.  The  chapter 
w'hich  follows  relates  to  an  event  which  occurred  during  that 
war] . 


200 


DEATH  OF  CORNSTALK. 


CHAPTKR  III. 
THE  DEATH  OF  CORNSTALK. 

This  was  one  of  the  most  atrocious  murders  committed  by  the 
white's  during  the  whole  course  of  the  war.    [Dunmore's  war] . 

In  the  summer  of  1777,  when  the  confederacy  of  the  Indian  na- 
tions, under  the  influence  of  the  British  government,  was  formed, 
and  began  to  commit  hostiHties  along  our  frontier  settlements,  Corn- 
stalk, and  a  young  chief  of  the  name  of  Red-hawk,  with  another  In- 
dian, made  a  visit  to  the  garrison  at  the  Point,  commanded  at  that 
time  by  Col.  Arbuckle.  He  stated  to  the  Captain,  that,  with  the 
exception  of  himself  and  the  tribe  to  which  he  belonged,  all  the  na- 
tions had  joined  the  English,  and  that  unless  protected  by  the  whites, 
"they  would  have  to  run  with  the  stream." 

Capt.  Arbuckle  thought  proper  to  detain  the  Cornstalk  chief 
and  his  two  companions  as  hostages  for  the  good  conduct  of  the 
tribe  to  which  they  belonged.  They  had  not  been  long  in  this 
situation  before  a  son  of  Cornstalk,  concerned  for  the  safety  of  his 
father,  came  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  and  hallooed  ;  his  father 
knowing  his  voice,  answered  him.  He  was  brought  over  the  river. 
The  father  and  son  mutually  embraced  each  other  with  the  greatest 
tenderness. 

On  the  day  following,  two  Indians,  who  had  concealed  them- 
selves in  the  weeds  on  the  bank  of  the  Kanawha  River  opposite  the 
Fort,  killed  a  man  of  the  name  of  Gilmore,  as  he  was  returning 
from  hunting.  As  soon  as  the  dead  body  was  brought  over  the 
river,  there  was  a  general  cry  amongst  the  men  who  were  present, 
**  Let  us  kill  the  Indians  in  the  Fort."  They  immediately  ascended 
the  bank  of  the  river  with  Capt.  Hall  at  their  head,  to  execute  their 
hasty  resolution.  On  their  way  they  were  met  by  Capt.  Stuart  and 
Capt.  Arbuckle,  who  endeavored  to  dissuade  them  from  killing  the 
Indian  hostages,  saying  that  they  certainly  had  no  concern  in  the 
murder  of  Gilmore  :  but  remonstrance  was  in  vain.  Pale  as  death 
with  rage,  they  cocked  their  guns  and  threatened  the  captains  with 
instant  death,  if  they  should  attempt  to  hinder  them  from  executing 
their  purpose. 

When  the  murderers  arrived  at  the  house  where  the  hostages 
were  confined.  Cornstalk  rose  to  meet  them  at  the  door,  but  instant- 
ly received  seven  bullets  through  his  body ;  his  son  and  his  other 


DEATH  OF  CORNSTALK. 


20I 


two  fellow-hostages  were  instantly  dispatched  with  bullets  and 
tomahawks. 

Thus  fell  the  Shawnee  war  chief  Cornstalk,  who,  like  Logan,  his 
companion  in  arms,  was  conspicuous  for  intellectual  talent,  bravery 
and  misfortune. 

The  biography  of  Cornstalk,  as  far  as  it  is  now  known,  goes  to 
show  that  he  was  no  way  deficient  in  those  mental  endowments 
w^hich  constitute  true  greatness.  On  the  evening  preceding  the  bat- 
tle of  Point  Pleasant,  he  proposed  going  over  the  river  to  the  camp 
of  Gen.  Lewis,  for  the  purpose  of  making  peace.  The  majority  in 
the  council  of  warriors  voted  against  the  measure.  "Well,"  said 
Cornstalk,  "since  you  have  resolved  on  fighting,  you  shall  fight, 
although  it  is  likely  v/e  shall  have  hard  work  tomorrow  ;  but  if  any 
man  shall  attem.pt  to  run  away  from  the  battle,  I  will  kill  him  with 
my  own  hand,"  and  accordingly  fulfilled  his  threat  with  regard  to 
one  cowardly  fellow. 

After  the  Indians  had  returned  from  the  battle,  Cornstalk  called 
a  council  at  the  Cliillicothe  town,  to  consult  what  was  to  be  done 
next.  In  this  council  he  reminded  the  war  chiefs  of  their  folly  in 
preventing  him  from  making  peace,  before  the  fatal  battle  of  Point 
Pleasant,  and  asked,  "What  shall  we  do  now  ?  The  Long-knives 
are  coming  upon  us  by  two  routes.  Shall  we  turn  out  and  fight 
them?"  All  were  silent.  He  then  asked,  "Shall  we  kill  our 
squav/s  and  children,  and  then  fight  until  we  shall  be  killed  our- 
selves ?  ' '  To  this  no  reply  was  made.  He  then  rose  up  and  stuck 
his  tomahawk  in  the  war-post  in  the  middle  of  the  council  house, 
saying,  "Since  you  are  not  inclined  to  fight,  I  will  go  and  make 
peace  ;"  and  accordingly  did  so. 

On  the  morning  of  the  day  of  his  death  a  council  was  held  in 
the  Fort  at  the  Point,  in  which  he  was  present.  During  the  sitting 
of  the  council,  it  is  said  that  beseemed  to  have  a  presentiment  of  his 
approaching  fate.  In  one  of  his  speeches,  he  remarked  to  the  coun- 
cil, "When  I  was  young,  ever}^  time  I  went  to  war  I  thought  it 
likely  that  I  might  return  no  more  ;  but  I  still  lived.  I  am  now  in 
your  hands,  and  you  may  kill  me  if  you  choose.  I  can  die  but  once, 
and  it  is  alike  to  me  whether  I  die  now  or  at  another  time. ' '  When 
the  men  presented  themselves  before  the  door,  for  the  purpose  of 
killing  the  Indians,  Cornstalk's  son  manifested  signs  of  fear,  on  ob- 
serving which,  his  father  said,  "  Don't  be  afraid,  my  son  ;  the  Great 
Spirit  sent  you  here  to  die  with  me,  and  we  must  submit  to  his  will. 
It  is  all  for  the  best." 


26 


202 


WAPPATOMICA  CAMPAIGN. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
WAPPATOMICA  CAMPAIGN. 

Under  the  command  of  Col.  Angus  McDonald,  four  hundred 
men  were  collected  from  the  western  part  of  Virginia  b}^  the  order 
of  the  Karl  of  Dunmore,  the  then  Governor  of  Virginia.  The  place 
of  rendezvous  was  Wheeling,  some  time  in  the  month  of  June,  1774. 
They  went  down  the  river  in  boats  and  canoes  to  the  mouth  of  Cap- 
tina,  from  thence  to  the  shortest  route  to  Wappatomica  town,  about 
sixteen  miles  below  the  present  Coshocton.  The  pilots  were  Jona- 
than Zane,  Thomas  Nicholson  and  Tady  Kelly.  About  six  miles 
from  the  town,  the  army  were  met  by  a  party  of  Indians,  to  the 
number  of  forty  or  fifty,  who  gave  a  skirmish  by  the  way  of  ambus- 
cade, in  which  two  of  our  men  were  killed  and  eight  or  nine  wound- 
ed. One  Indian  was  killed  and  several  wounded.  It  was  supposed 
that  several  more  of  them  were  killed,  but  they  were  carried  off. 
When  the  army  came  to  the  town,  it  was  found  evacuated.  The 
Indians  had  retreated  to  the  opposite  shore  of  the  River,  where 
they  had  formed  an  ambuscade,  supposing  the  party  would  cross 
the  River  from  the  town.  This  was  immediately  discovered.  The 
commanding  officers  then  sent  sentinels  up  and  down  the  River,  to 
give  notice,  in  case  the  Indians  should  attempt  to  cross  above  or 
below  the  town.  A  private  in  the  company  of  Capt.  Cresap,  of  the 
name  of  John  Harness,  one  of  the  sentinels  below  the  town,  dis- 
played the  skill  of  a  backwoods  sharpshooter.  Seeing  an  Indian 
behind  a  blind  across  the  river,  raising  up  his  head,  at  times,  to  look 
over  the  river,  Harness  charged  his  rifle  with  a. second  ball,  and  tak- 
ing deliberate  aim,  passed  both  balls  through  the  neck  of  the  In- 
dian. The  Indians  dragged  off  the  body  and  buried  it  with 
the  honors  of  war.  It  was  found  the  next  morning  and  scalped  by 
Harness. 

Soon  after  the  town  was  taken,  the  Indians  from  the  opposite 
shore  sued  for  peace.  The  commander  offered  them  peace  on  con- 
dition of  their  sending  over  their  chiefs  as  hostages.  Five  of  them 
came  over  the  River  and  were  put  under  guard  as  hostages.  In  the 
morning  they  were  marched  in  front  of  the  army  over  the  River. 
When  the  party  had  reached  the  western  bank  of  the  Muskingum, 
the  Indians  represented  that  they  could  not  make  peace  without  the 
presence  of  the  chiefs  of  the  other  towns  ;  on  which  one  of  the  chiefs 


WAPPATOMICA  CAMPAIGN. 


203 


was  released  to  bring  in  the  others.  He  did  not  return  at  the  ap- 
pointed time.  Another  chief  was  permitted  to  go  on  the  same  errand, 
and  who  in  like  manner  did  not  return.  The  party  then  moved  up 
the  River  to  the  next  town,  which  was  a  mile  above  the  first,  and  on 
the  oppose  shore.  Here  we  had  a  slight  skirimish  with  the  Indians, 
in  which  one  of  them  was  killed  and  one  of  our  men  wounded.  It 
was  then  discovered,  that  during  all  the  time  spent  in  the  negotia- 
tions, the  Indians  were  employed  in  removing  their  women  and  child- 
ren, old  people  and  effects,  from  the  upper  towns.  The  tows  were 
burned  ahd  the  corn  cut  up.  The  party  then  returned  to  the  place 
from  which  they  set  out,  bringing  with  them  the  three  remaining 
chiefs,  who  were  sent  to  Williamsburg.  They  were  released  at  the 
peace  the  succeding  fall. 

The  army  were  out  of  provisions  before  they  left  the  towns, 
and  had  to  subsist  on  weeds,  one  ear  of  corn  each  day,  with  a  very 
scanty  supply  of  game.  The  corn  was  obtained  at  one  of  the  In- 
dian towns.  % 


204 


GKN.  MCINTOSH'S  CAMPAIGN. 


CHAPTER  V. 

GEN.  Mcintosh's  campaign. 

In  the  spring  of  the  year  1773,  the  government  having  sent  a 
small  force  of  regular  troops,  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Mcintosh, 
for  the  defense  of  the  western  frontier,  the  general  with  the  regu- 
lars and  militia  from  Fort  Pitt,  descended  the  Ohio  River  about 
thirty  miles,  and  built  Fort  Mcintosh,  on  the  site  of  the  present 
Beaver  towns.  This  Fort  was  made  with  strong  stockades,  furn- 
ished with  bastions  and  mounted  with  one  6-pounder.  This  station 
was  well  selected  as  a  point  for  a  small  military  force,  always  in 
readines  to  pursue  or  intercept  and  war  parties  of  Indians,  who  fre- 
quently made  incursions  into  the  settlements  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  River  in  its  immediate  neighborhood.  The  Fort  was  well  garri- 
soned and  supplied  with  provisions  during  the  summer. 

Sometime  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  Gen.  Mcintosh  received 
an  order  from  the  government  to  make  a  compaign  against  the  San- 
dusky towns.  The  order  he  attempted  to  obey  with  one  thousand 
men  ;  but  owing  to  the  delay  in  making  necessary  outfits  for  the  ex- 
pedition, the  officers,  on  reaching  Tuscaraw^a,  thought  it  best  to  halt 
at  that  place,  build  and  garrison  a  Fort,  and  delay  the  further 
prosecution  of  the  campaign  until  the  next  spring.  Accordingly 
they  built  Fort  Laurens  on  the  bank  of  the  Tuscarawa  River. 
Some  time  after  the  completion  of  the  Fort,  the  general  returned 
with  the  army  to  Fort  Pitt,  leaving  Col.  John  Gibson  with  a  com- 
mand of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  to  protect  the  Fort  until  spring. 
The  Indians  were  soon  acquainted  with  the  existence  of  the  Fort, 
and  soon  convinced  our  people,  by  sad  experience,  of  the  bad  policy 
of  building  and  attempting  to  hold  a  Fort  so  far  in  advance  of  our 
settlements  and  other  Forts. 

The  first  annoyance  the  garrison  received  from  the  Indians  was 
some  time  in  the  month  of  January.  In  the  night  time  they  caught 
most  of  the  horses  belonging  to  the  Fort,  and  taking  them  off  some 
distance  in  the  woods,  they  took  olf  their  bells,  and  formed  an  am- 
busade  by  the  side  of  the  path  leading  through  the  high  grass  of  a 
prairie  at  a  little  distance  from  the  Fort.  In  the  morning  the  In- 
dians rattled  the  horse  bells  at  the  further  end  of  the  line  of  the 
ambuscade.  The  plan  succeeded  ;  a  fatigue  of  sixteen  men  went 
out  for  the  horses  and  fell  in  the  snare.    Fourteen  were  killed  on  the 


GKN.  MCINTOSH'S  CAMPAIGN. 


205 


spot,  two  were  taken  prisoners,  one  of  whom  was  given  up  at  the 
close  of  the  war,  the  other  was  never  afterwards  heard  of. 

Gen.  Benjamin  Biggs,  then  a  Captain  in  the  Fort,  being  officer 
of  the  day,  requested  leave  of  the  Colonel  to  go  out  with  the  fatigue 
party,  which  fell  into  the  ambuscade.  ''No,"  said  the  Colonel, 
'  *  this  fatigue  part}^  does  not  belong  to  a  Captain's  command.  When 
I  shall  have  occasion  to  employ  one  of  that  number,  I  shall  be 
thankful  for  your  services  ;  at  present  you  must  attend  to  your  duty 
in  the  Fort."  On  what  trivial  circumstances  do  life  and  death 
sometimes  depend  ! 

In  the  evening  of  the  day  of  the  ambuscade,  the  v/hole  Indian 
army,  in  full  w^ar  dress  and  painted,  marched  in  single  file  through 
a  prarie  in  view  of  the  Fort.  Their  number,  as  counted  from  one  of 
the  bastions,  was  eight  hundred  and  forty-seven.  They  then  took 
up  their  encampment  on  an  elevated  piece  of  ground  at  a  small  dis- 
tence  from  the  Fort,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  River.  From  this 
camp  they  frequently  held  conversations  with  the  people  of  our  gar- 
rison. In  these  conversations,  they  seemed  to  deplore  the  long  con- 
tinuance of  the  war  and  hoped  for  peace  ;  but  were  much  exasper- 
ated at  the  Americans  for  attempting  to  penetrate  so  far  into  their 
country.  This  great  body  of  Indians  continued  the  investment 
of  the  Fort,  as  long  as  they  could  obtain  subsistence,  which  was 
about  six  weeks. 

An  old  Indian  by  the  name  of  John  Thompson,  who  was  with 
the  American  Army  in  the  Fort,  frequentl}^  went  out  among  the 
Indians  during  their  stay  at  their  encampment,  with  the  mutual  con- 
sent of  both  parties.  A  short  time  before  the  Indians  left  the 
place,  they  sent  word  to  Col.  Gibson,  by  the  old  Indian,  that  they 
were  desirous  of  peace,  and  that  if  he  would  send  them  a  barrel  of 
flour  they  would  send  in  their  proposals  the  next  day  ;  but  although 
the  Colonel  complied  with  their  request,  they  marched  off  without 
fulfilling  their  engagement. 

The  commxander,  supposing  the  v^^hole  number  of  the  Indians 
had  gone  off,  gave  permission  to  Col.  Clark,  of  the  Pennsylvania 
line  to  escort  the  invalids,  to  the  number  of  eleven  or  twelve,  to  Fort 
Mcintosh.  The  whole  number  of  this  detachment  was  fifteen. 
The  wary  Indians  had  left  a  party  behind,  for  the  purpose  of  doing 
mischief.  These  attacked  this  party  of  invalids  and  the  escort, 
about  two  miles  from  their  Fort,  and  killed  the  whole  of  them  with 
the  exception  of  four,  amongst  whom  were  the  Captain,  who  ran 
back  to  the  Fort.  On  the  same  day  a  detachment  v»^ent  out  from  the 
Fort,  brought  in  the  dead,  and  buried  them  with  the  honors  of  war, 
in  front  of  the  Fort  gate. 

In  three  or  four  days  after  this  disaster  a  relief  of  seven  hun- 
dred men,  under  Gen.  Mcintosh,  arrived  at  the  Fort  with  a  supply 
of  provisions,  a  great  part  of  which  was  lost  by  an  untow^ard  acci- 
dent. When  the  relief  had  reached  within  about  one  hundred  yards 
of  the  Fort,  the  garrison  gave  them  a  salute  of  a  general  discharge 


/ 


2o6  GEN.  MCINTOSH'S  CAMPAIGN. 

of  musketry,  at  the  report  of  which  the  pack-horses  took  fright, 
broke  loose  and  scattered  the  provisions  in  every  direction  through 
the  woods,  so  that  the  greater  part  of  them  could  never  be  recov- 
ered again. 

Among  other  transactions  which  took  place  about  this  time, 
was  that  of  gathering  up  the  remains  of  the  fourteen  men  for  inter- 
ment, who  had  fallen  in  the  ambuscade  during  the  winter,  and 
which  could  not  be  done  during  the  investment  of  the  place  by  the 
Indians.  They  were  found  mostly  devoured  by  the  wolves.  The 
fatigue  party  dug  a  pit  large  enough  to  contain  the  remains  of  all  of 
them,  and  after  depositing  them  in  the  pit,  merely  covering  them 
with  a  little  earth,  with  a  view  to  have  revenge  on  the  wolves  for 
devouring  their  companions,  they  covered  the  pit  with  slender 
sticks,  rotten  wood  and  bits  of  bark,  not  of  sufficient  strength  to 
bear  the  weight  of  the  wolf.  On  the  top  of  this  covering  they 
placed  a  piece  of  meat,  as  a  bait  for  the  wolves.  The  next  morn= 
ing  seven  of  them  were  found  in  the  pit.  They  were  shot  and  the 
pit  filled  up. 

For  about  two  weeks  before  the  relief  arrived,  the  garrison  had 
been  put  on  short  allowance  of  half  pound  of  sour  flour  and  an 
equal  weight  of  stinking  meat  for  every  two  days.  The  greater  part 
of  the  last  week,  they  had  nothing  to  subsist  on  but  such  roots  as 
they  could  find  in  the  woods  and  prairies,  and  raw  hides.  Two  men 
lost  their  lives  by  eating  wild  parsnip  roots  by  mistake.  Four  more 
nearly  shared  the  same  fate,  but  were  saved  by  medical  aid. 

On  the  evening  of  the  arrival  of  the  relief,  two  days'  rations 
were  issued  to  each  man  in  the  Fort.  These  rations  were  intended  as 
their  allowance  during  their  march  to  Fort  Mcintosh  ;  but  many  of 
the  men,  supposing  them  to  have  been  back  rations,  ate  up  the  whole 
of  their  allowance  before  the  next  morning.  In  consequence  of  this 
imprudence,  in  eating  immoderately  after  such  extreme  starvation 
from  the  want  of  provisions,  about  forty  of  the  men  became  faint 
and  sick  during  the  first  days  march.  On  the  second  day,  however, 
the  sufferers  were  met  by  a  great  number  of  their  friends  from  the 
settlements  to  which  they  belonged,  by  whom  they  were  amply  sup- 
plied with  provisions,  and  thus  saved  from  perishing. 

Maj.  Vernon,  who  succeeded  Col.  Gibson  in  the  command  of 
Fort  I^aurens,  continued  its  possession  until  the  next  fall,  when  the 
garrison,  after  being,  like  their  predecessors,  reduced  almost  to  star- 
vation, evacuated  the  place. 

Thus  ended  the  disastrous  business  of  Fort  Laurens,  in  which 
much  fatigue  and  suffering  were  endured  and  many  lives  lost,  but 
without  any  beneficial  result  to  the  country. 


MORAVIAN  CAMPAIGN. 


207 


CHAPTER  VI. 
THE  MORAVIAN  CAMPAIGN. 

This  ever  memorable  campaign  took  place  in  the  month  of 
March,  1782.  The  weather,  during  the  greater  part  of  the  month 
of  February,  had  been  uncommonly  fine,  so  that  the  war  parties 
from  Sandusky  visited  the  settlements,  and  committed  depredations 
earlier  than  usual.  The  family  of  a  William  Wallace,  consisting  of, 
wife  and  five  or  six  children  were  killed,  and  John  Carpenter  taken 
prisoner.  These  events  took  place  the  latter  part  of  February. 
The  early  period  at  which  these  fatal  visitations  of  the  Indians  took 
23lace,  led  to  the  conclusion  that  the  murderers  were  either  Moravians, 
or  that  the  warriors  had  had  their  w^inter  quarters  at  their  towns  on 
the  Muskingum  River.  In  either  case,  the  Moravians  being  in  fault, 
the  safety  of  the  frontier  settlements  required  the  destruction  of  their 
establishments  at  that  place. 

Accordingly  between  eighty  and  ninety  men  were  hastil}^  col- 
lected together  for  the  fatal  enterprise.  They  rendezvoused  and 
encamped  the  first  night  on  the  Mingo  Bottom,  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Ohio  River.  Each  man  furnished  himself  with  his  own  arms, 
ammunition  and  provisions.  Many  of  them  had  horses.  The  second 
days  march  brought  them  within  one  mile  of  the  middle  Moravian 
town,  where  they  had  encamped  for  the  night.  In  the  morning  the 
men  were  divided  into  two  equal  parties,  one  of  which  was  to  cross 
the  River  about  a  mile  above  the  town,  their  videttes  having  report- 
ed that  there  were  Indians  on  both  sides  of  the  River.  The  other 
party  was  divided  into  three  divisions  one  of  which  was  to  take  a 
circuit  in  the  woods,  and  reach  the  River  a  little  distance  below  the 
town,  on  the  east  side.  Another  division  was  to  fall  into  the  middle 
of  the  town,  and  the  third  at  its  upper  end. 

When  the  party  which  designed  to  make  the  attack  on  the  west 
side  had  reached  the  River,  they  found  no  craft  to  take  them  over, 
but  something  like  a  canoe  was  seen  on  the  opposite  bank.  The 
River  was  high  with  some  floating  ice.  A  young  man  of  the  name 
of  Slaughter  swam  the  River  and  brought  over,  not  a  canoe,  but  a 
trough  designed  for  holding  sugar  water.  This  trough  could  carry 
but  two  men  at  a  time.  In  order  to  expedite  their  passage,  a  num- 
ber of  men  stripped  off  their  clothes,  put  them  into  the  trough,  to- 
gether with  their  guns,  and  swam  by  its  side,  holding  its  edges  with 


2o8 


MORAVIAN  CAMPAIGN. 


their  hands.  When  about  sixteen  had  crossed  the  River,  their  two 
sentinels,  who  had  been  posted  in  advance,  discovered  an  Indian 
whose  name  was  Shabosh.  One  of  them  broke  one  of  his  arms  by  a 
shot.  A  shot  from  the  other  sentinel  killed  him.  These  heroes 
then  scalped  at  tomahawked  him. 

By  this  time  about  sixteen  men  had  got  over  the  River,  and 
supposing  that  the  firing  of  guns  v/hich  killed  Shabosh,  would  lead 
to  an  instant  discovery,  they  sent  word  to  the  party  designed  to  at- 
tack the  town  on  the  east  side  of  the  River  to  move  on  instantly, 
which  they  did. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  small  party  which  had  crossed  the  River, 
marched  with  all  speed  to  the  main  town  on  the  west  side  of  the 
River.  Here  they  found  a  large  companj^  of  Indians  gathering  the 
corn  which  they  had  left  in  their  fields  the  preceding  fail  when  they 
removed  to  Sandusky.  On  the  arrival  of  the  men  at  the  town,  they 
professed  peace  and  good  will  to  the  Moravians,  and  informed  them 
that  they  came  to  take  them  to  Fort  Pitt  for  their  safety.  The  In- 
dians surrendered,  delivered  up  their  arms,  and  appeared  highly  de- 
lighted with  the  prospect  of  their  removal,  and  began  with  all 
speed  to  prepare  victuals  for  the  white  men  and  for  themselves  on  their 
journey. 

A  part}^  of  white  men  and  Indians  were  immediate!}^  dispatched 
to  Salem,  a  short  distance  from  Gnadenhutten,  where  the  Indians 
v/ere  gathering  in  their  corn,  to  bring  them  into  Gnadenhutten. 
The  party  soon  arrived  with  the  whole  number  of  the  Indians  from 
Salem. 

In  the  mean  time  the  Indians  from  Gnadenhutten  were  confined 
in  two  houses  some  distance  apart,  and  placed  under  guard  ;  and 
when  those  from  Salem  arrived,  they  were  divided,  and  placed  in 
the  same  houses  with  their  brethern  in  Gnadenhutten. 

The  prisoners  being  thus  secured,  a  council  of  war  was  held  to 
decide  on  their  fate.  The  officers,  unwilling  to  take  on  themselves 
the  whole  responsibility  of  the  decision,  agreed  to  refer  the  question 
to  the  whole  number  of  the  men.  The  men  were  accordingly  drawn 
up  in  a  line.  The  commandant  of  the  party,  Col.  David  William- 
son,  th-?ni  put  the  question  to  them  in  form,  **  Whether  the  Mora- 
vian Indians  should  be  taken  prisoners  to  Pittsburg,  or  put  to  death, 
and  requested  that  all  those  who  were  in  favor  of  saving  their  lives 
should  step  out  of  the  line  and  form  a  second  rank."  On  this  six- 
teen, some  say  eighteen,  stepped  out  of  the  rank,  and  formed  them- 
selves into  a  second  line  ;  but  alas  !  this  line  of  mercy  was  far  too 
short  for  that  of  vengeance. 

The  fate  of  the  Moravians  was  then  decided  on,  and  they  were 
told  to  prepare  for  death. 

The  prisoners,  from  the  time  they  were  placed  in  the  guard- 
house foresaw  their  fate,  and  began  their  devotions  by  singing  hymns, 
praying  and  exhorting  each  other  to  place  a  firm  reliance  in  the 
mercy  of  the  Saviour  of  men.    When  their  fate  was  announced  to 


MORAVIAN  CAMPAIGN. 


them,  these  devoted  people  embraced,  kissed,  and  bede\Yed  each 
others'  faces  and  bossoms  with  their  mutual  tears,  asked  pardon  of 
the  brothers  and  sisters  for  any  offense  they  might  have  given  them 
through  life.  Thus,  at  peace  with  their  God  and  each  other,  on 
being  asked  by  those  who  were  im^patient  for  the  slaughter,  ' '  Whether 
they  were  ready  to  die  ?  ' '  they  answered  ' '  that  they  had  commended 
their  souls  to  God,  and  were  read}-  to  die." 

The  particulars  of  this  dreadful  catastrophe  are  too  horrid  to 
relate.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  in  a  few  minutes  these  two  slaughter- 
houses, as  they  were  then  called,  exhibited  in  their  ghastly  interior, 
the  mangled,  bleeding  remains,  of  these  poor  unfortunate  people,  of 
all  ages  and  sexes,  from  the  aged,  gray-headed  parent,  down  to  the 
helpless  infant  at  the  mother's  breast,  dishonored  by  the  fatal 
wounds  of  the  tomahawk,  mallet,  war  club,  spear  and  scalping- 
knife. 

Thus,  O  Brainard  and  Zeisberger  !  faithful  missionaries,  who 
devoted  your  whole  life  to  incessant  toil  and  sufferings  in  your  en- 
deavors to  make  the  wilderness  of  paganism  "rejoice  and  blossom 
as  the  rose,"  in  faith  and  piety  to  God  !  thus  perished  your  faithful 
followers,  by  the  murderous  hand  of  tne  more  than  savage  white 
men.  Faithful  pastors  !  Your  spirits  are  again  associated  with 
those  of  your  flock,  "  where  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling  and 
the  weary  are  at  rest  !  " 

The  number  of  the  slain,  as  reported  by  the  men  on  ther  return 
from  the  campaign,  was  eighty-seven  or  eighty-nine  ;  but  the  Mora- 
vian account,  which  no  doubt  is  correct,  makes  the  number  ninet}'- 
six.  Of  these,  sixty-two  were  grown  persons,  one-third  of  whom 
were  women  ;  the  remaining  thirty-four  were  children.  All  these, 
with  few  exceptions,  were  killed  in  the  houses.  Shaboshwas  killed 
about  a  mile  above  the  town,  on  the  west  side  of  the  River.  His  wife 
was  killed  while  endeavoring  to  conceal  herself  in  a  bunch  of  bushes-, 
at  the  water's  edge,  on  the  arrival  of  the  men  at  the  town,  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river.  A  man  at  the  same  time  was  shot  in  a  canoe, 
while  attempting  to  make  his  escape  from  the  east  to  the  west  side 
of  the  River.  Two  others  were  shot  while  attempting  to  escape  by 
swimming  the  River.  A  few  men,  who  were  supposed  to  be  war- 
riors, were  tied  and  taken  some  distance  from  the  slaughter-house, 
to  be  tomahawked.  One  of  these  had  liked  to  have  made  his  escape 
at  the  expense  of  the  life  of  one  of  the  murderers.  The  rope  by 
which  he  was  led  was  of  some  length.  The  two  men  who  were  con- 
ducting him  to  death  fell  into  a  dispute  who  should  have  the  scalp. 
The  Indian  while  marching  with  a  kind  of  dancing  motion,  and 
singing  his  death  song,  drew"  a  knife  from  a  scabbard  suspended  from 
his  neck,  cut  the  rope,  and  aimed  at  stabbing  one  of  the  men ;  but 
the  jerk  of  the  rope  occasioned  one  of  the  men  to  look  around.  The 
Indian  then  fled  towards  the  woods,  and  while  running,  dexter- 
ously untied  the  rope  from  his  wrists.  He  was  instantl}^  pur- 
sned  by  several  who  fired  at  him,  one  of  whom  wounded  him  in  the 

27 


2IO  MORAVIAN  CAMPAIGN. 

arm.  After  a  few  shots  the  firing  was  forbidden,  for  the  men  might 
kill  each  other  as  they  were  running  in  a  straggling  manner.  A 
young  man  then  mounted  a  horse  and  pursued  the  Indian,  who  when 
overtaken  struck  the  horse  on  the  head  v/ith  a  club.  The  rider 
sprang  from  the  horse,  on  which  the  Indian  seized,  threw  him  down 
and  drew  his  tomahawk  to  kill  him.  At  that  instant,  one  of  the 
party  got  near  enough  to  shoot  the  Indian,  which  he  did  merely  in 
time  to  save  the  life  of  his  companion. 

Of  the  whole  number  of  Indians  at  Gnadenhutten  and  Salem, 
only  two  made  their  escape.  These  were  two  lads  of  fourteen  or 
fifteen  years  of  age.  One  of  them,  after  being  knocked  down  and 
scalped,  but  not  killed,  had  the  presence  of  mind  to  lie  still  among 
the  dead,  until  the  dusk  of  the  evening,  when  he  silently  crept  out 
of  the  door  and  made  his  escape.  The  other  lad  slipped  through  a 
trap  door  into  the  cellar  of  one  of  the  slaughter-houses,  from  which 
he  made  his  escape  through  a  small  cellar  window. 

These  two  lads  were  fortunate  in  getting  together  in  the 
woods  the  same  night.  Another,  lad,  somewhat  larger,  in  attempt- 
ing to  pass  through  the  same  window,  it  is  supposed  stuck  fast  and 
was  burnt  alive. 

The  Indians  of  the  upper  town  were  apprised  of  their  danger  in 
due  time  to  make  their  escape,  two  of  them  having  found  the  mang- 
led body  of  Shabosh.  Providentially  they  all  made  their  escape  al- 
though they  might  have  been  easily  overtaken  by  the  party,  if  they 
had  undertaken  their  pursuit.  A  division  of  the  men  were  ordered 
to  go  to  Shonbron  ;  and  finding  the  place  deserted,  they  took  what 
plunder  they  could  find,  and  returned  to  their  companions  without 
looking  farther  after  the  Indians. 

After  the  work  of  death  was  finished,  and  the  plunder  secured, 
all  the  buildings  in  the  town  was  set  on  fire  and  the  slaugh- 
ter-houses among  the  rest.  The  dead  bodies  were  thus  con- 
sumed to  ashes.  A  rapid  retreat  to  the  settlements  finished  the 
campaign. 

Such  were  the  principal  events  of  the  horrid  affair.  A  massacre 
of  innocent,  unoffending  people,  dishonorable  not  only  to  our  coun- 
try, but  human  nature  itself. 

Before  making  any  remarks  on  the  causes  which  led  to  the  dis- 
graceful events  under  consideration,  it  may  be  proper  to  notice  the 
manner  in  which  the  enterprise  was  conducted,  as  furnishing  evi- 
dence that  the  murder  of  the  Moravians  was  intended,  and  that  no 
resistance  from  them  was  anticipated. 

In  a  military  point  of  vievv^,  the  Moravian  compaign  was  con- 
ducted in  the  very  worse  manner  imaginable.  It  was  undertaken  at 
so  early  a  period,  that  a  deep  fall  of  snow,  a  thing  very  common  in 
the  early  part  of  March,  in  former  times,  would  have  defeated  the 
enterprise.  When  the  army  came  to  the  River,  instead  of  construct- 
ing a  sufficient  number  of  rafts  to  transport  the  requisite  number 
over  the  River  at  once,  they  commenced  crossing  in  a  sugar  trough, 


MORAVIAN  CAMPAIGN. 


211 


which  could  carry  only  two  men  at  a  time,  thus  jeopardizing  the 
safety  of  those  who  first  went  over.  The  two  sentinels  who  shot 
Shabosh,  according  to  military  law  ought  to  have  been  executed  on 
the  spot  for  having  fired  without  orders,  thereby  giving  premature 
notice  of  the  approach  of  our  men.  The  truth  is,  nearly  the  whole 
number  of  the  army  ought  to  have  been  transported  over  the  River  ; 
for  after  all  their  forces  employed,  and  precaution  used  in  getting 
possession  of  the  town  on  the  east  side  of  the  River,  there  were 
but  one  man  and  one  squaw  found  in  it,  all  the  others  being  on  the 
other  side.  This  circumstance  they  ought  to  have  known  before- 
hand, and  acted  accordingly.  The  Indians  on  the  west  side  of 
the  River  amounted  to  about  eighty,  and  among  them  about 
thirty  men,  besides  a  number  of  3^oung  lads,  all  possessed  of  guns 
and  well  accustomed  to  the  use  of  them  ;  yet  this  large  number  was 
attacked  by  about  sixteen  men.  If  they  had  really  anticipated  re- 
sistance, they  deserved  to  loose  their  lives  for  their  rashness.  It  is 
presumable,  however,  that  having  full  confidence  in  the  pacific 
principles  of  the  Moravians,  they  did  not  expect  resistance  ;  but  cal- 
culated on  blood  and  plunder  without  having  a  shot  fired  at  them. 
If  this  was  really  the  case,  the  author  leaves  it  to  justice  to  find,  if 
it  can,  a  name  for  the  transaction. 

One  can  hardly  help  reflecting  with  regret,  that  these  Moravi- 
ans did  not  for  the  moment  lay  aside  their  pacific  principles  and  do 
themselves  justice.  With  a  mere  show  of  defense,  or  at  most  a  few 
shots,  they  might  have  captured  and  disarmed  those  few  men,  and 
held  them  as  hostages  for  the  safety  of  their  people  and  property 
until  they  could  have  removed  them  out  of  their  way.  This  they 
might  have  done  on  the  easiest  terms,  as  the  remainder  of  the 
army  could  not  have  crossed  the  River  without  their  permission 
as  there  was  but  one  canoe  at  the  place,  and  the  River  to  high  to 
be  forded.  But  alas  !  these  truly  christian  people  suffered  them- 
selves to  be  betrayed  by  hypocritical  professions  of  friendship,  until 
' '  they  were  led  as  sheep  to  the  slaughter. ' '  Over  this  horrid  deed 
humanity  must  shed  tears  of  commisseration,  as  long  as  the  record 
of  it  shall  remain.  * 

Let  not  the  reader  suppose  that  I  have  presented  him  with  a 
mere  imaginar}^  possibility  of  defense  on  the  part  of  the  Moravians. 
This  defense  would  have  been  an  easy  task.  Our  people  did  not  go 
on  that  campaign  with  a  view  of  fighting.  There  may  have  been 
some  brave  men  among  them  ;  but  they  were  far  from  being  all 
such.  For  my  part,  I  cannot  suppose  for  a  moment  that  any  white 
man,  who  can  harbor  a  thought  of  using  his  arms  for  the  killing  of 
women  and  children  in  any  case,  can  be  a  brave  man.  No,  he  is  a 
murderer. 

The  history  of  the  Moravian  settlement  of  the  Muskingum, 
and  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  their  inhabitants  during  the 
revolutionary  contest  between  Great  Britain  and  America,  deserve  a 
place  here. 


212 


MORAVIAN  CAMPAIGN. 


In  the  year  1772,  the  Moravian  villages  were  commenced  by 
emigration  from  Friedenshutton,  on  the  Big  Beaver,  and  from  Wya- 
lusing  and  Sheshequon  on  the  Susquehanna  River.  In  a  short  time 
they  rose  to  a  considerable  extent  and  prosperity,  containing  up- 
wards of  four  hundered  people.  During  the  summer  of  Dun- 
more' s  War,  they  were  much  annoj^ed  by  war  parties  of  the 
Indians,  and  disturbed  by  perpetual  rumors  of  the  ill-intention 
of  the  white  people  of  the  frontier  settlements  towards  them  ;  yet 
their  labors,  schools  and  religious  exercises,  went  on  without  inter- 
ruption. 

In  the  Revolutionar}^  War,  which  began  in  1775,  the  situation 
of  the  Moravian  settlements  was  trulj'  deplorable.  The  English  had 
associated  with  their  own  means  of  warfare  against  the  Americans, 
the  scalping-knife  and  tomahawk  of  the  merciless  Indians.  These 
allies  of  England  committed  the  most  horrid  depredations  along  the 
whole  extent  of  our  defenseless  frontier.  From  early  in  the  spring 
until  late  in  the  fall,  the  early  settlers  of  the  western  parts  of  Vir- 
ginia and  Pennsylvania  had  to  submit  to  the  severest  hardships  and 
privations.  Cooped  up  in  little  stockade  forts,  they  worked  their 
little  fields  in  parties  under  arms,  guarded  by  sentinels,  and  were 
doomed  from  day  to  day  to  witness  or  hear  reports  of  the  murders  or 
captivity  of  their  people,  the  burning  of  their  houses,  and  the  plun- 
der of  their  property. 

The  war  with  the  English  fleets  and  armies,  on  the  other  side 
of  the  mountains,  was  of  such  a  character  as  to  engage  the  whole  at- 
tention and  resources  of  our  government,  so  that,  poor  as  the  first 
settlers  of  this  country  were,  they  had  to  bear  almost  the  whole  bur- 
den of  the  war  during  the  revolutionary  contest.  They  choose  their 
own  officers,  furnished  their  own  means,  and  conducted  the  war  in 
their  own  wa}'.  Thus  circumstanced,  "they  became  a  law  unto 
themselves,"  and  on  certain  occasions  perpetrated  acts  which  govern- 
ment was  compelled  to  disapprove.  This  lawless  temper  of  our  peo- 
ple was  never  fully  dissipated  until  the  conclusion  of  the  whiskey  re- 
bellion in,  1794. 

The  Moravian  villages  were  situated  between  the  settlements  of 
the  whites  and  the  towns  of  the  warriors,  about  sixty  miles  from  the 
former,  and  not  much  farther  from  the  latter.  On  this  account 
they  were  dominated  "the  half-way  house  of  the  warriors."  Thus 
placed  between  tvv^o  rival  powers  engaged  in  furious  warfare,  the 
preservation  of  their  neutrality  was  no  easy  task,  perhaps  impossi- 
ble. If  it  requires  the  same  physical  force  to  preserve  a  neutral 
station  among  belligrent  nations  that  it  does  to  prosecute  a  war,  as 
is  unquestionably  the  case,  this  pacific  people  had  no  chance  for  the 
preservation  of  theirs.  The  very  goodness  of  their  hearts,  their 
aversion  to  the  shedding  of  human  blood,  brought  them  into  difii- 
culties  with  both  parties.  When  they  sent  their  runners  to  Fort 
Pitt,  to  inform  us  of  the  approach  of  the  war  parties,  or  received, 
fed,  secreted  and  sent  home  prisoners,  who  had  made  their  escape 


MORAVIAN  CAMPAIGN, 


213 


fror.i  the  savages,  they  made  breaches  of  their  neutrality  as  to  the 
belligerent  Indians,  Their  furnishing  the  v/arriors  with  a  resting 
place  and  provisions  was  contrary  to  their  neutral  engagements  to 
us  ;  but  the  local  situation  rendered  these  accommodations  to  the 
w^arriors  unavoidable  on  their  part,  as  the  warriors  possessed  both 
the  will  and  the  means  to  compel  them  to  give  v/hatever  the}-  wanted 
fromx  them. 

The  peaceable  Indians  fell  under  suspicion  wdth  the  Indian 
warriors  and  the  English  commandant  at  Detriot,  to  w^hom  it  was 
reported  that  their  teachers  w^ere  in  close  confederac}^  with  Ameri- 
can Congress,  for  preventing  not  only  their  own  people,  but  also  the 
Delawares  and  some  other  nations,  from  associating  their  arms 
with  those  of  the  British  for  carrj'ing  on  the  w^ar  against  the  Am- 
erican colonies. 

The  frequent  failures  of  the  war  expeditions  of  the  Indians  was 
attributed  to  the  Moravians,  who  often  sent  runners  to  Fort  Pitt  to 
give  notice  of  their  approach.  This  charge  against  them  v/as  cer- 
tainly not  without  foundation.  In  the  spring  of  the  5'ear  1781  the 
war  chiefs  of  the  Delawares  fully  appraised  the  missionaries  and 
their  followers  of  their  danger  both  from  the  whites  and  Indians, 
and  requested  them  to  remove  to  a  place  of  safety  from  both.  This 
request  w^as  not  complied  with,  and  the  almost  prophetic  predictions 
of  the  chiefs  w^ere  literally  fulfilled. 

In  the  fall  of  the  year  1781,  the  settlement  of  the  Moravians 
were  broken  up  by  upvvards  of  three  hundred  warriors,  and  the  mis- 
sionaries taken  prisoners,  after  being  robbed  of  almost  everything. 
The  Indians  were  left  to  shift  for  themselves  in  the  barren  plains 
of  Sandusky,  where  most  of  their  horses  and  cattle  perished  from 
famine  during  the  winter.  The  missionaries  were  taken  prisoners 
to  Detroit ;  but  after  an  examination  by  the  Governor,  were  permit- 
ted to  return  to  their  beloved  people  again. 

In  the  latter  part  of  February,  a  party  of  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  of  the  Moravian  Indians  returned  to  their  deserted  villages 
on  the  Muskingum,  to  procure  corn  to  keep  their  families  and  cattle 
from  starving.  Of  these,  ninety-six  fell  into  the  hands  of  William- 
son and  his  party,  and  were  murdered. 

The  causes  which  led  to  the  murder  of  the  Moravians  are  now  to 
be  detailed. 

The  pressure  of  the  Indian  v/ar  along  the  whole  of  the  western 
frontier,  for  several  years  preceding  the  event  under  consideration, 
had  been  dreadfully  severe.  From  early  in  the  spring,  until  the  com- 
mencement of  the  winter,  from  da.y  to  day  murders  were  committed 
in  every  direction  by  the  Indians.  The  people  lived  in  Forts  which 
were  in  the  highest  degree  uncomfortable.  The  men  vv^ere  harrassed 
continally  with  the  duties  of  going  on  scouts  and  compaign.  There 
was  scarcel}'  a  family  of  the  first  settlers  who  did  not,  at  some  time 
or  other,  lose  more  or  less  of  their  number  by  the  merciless  Indians. 
Their  cattle  were  killed,  their  cabins  burned,  and  their  horses  car- 


214 


MORAVIAN  CAMPAIGN. 


ried  off.  These  losses  were  severely  felt  by  a  people  so  poor  as  were 
at  that  time.  Thus  circumstanced,  our  people  were  exasperated  to 
madness  by  the  extent  and  severity  of  the  war.  The  unavailing  en- 
deavors of  the  American  Congress  to  prevent  the  Indians  from  tak- 
ing np  the  hatchet  against  either  side  in  the  revolutionary  contest, 
contributed  much  to  increase  the  general  indignation  against  them, 
at  the  same  time  those  pacific  endeavors  of  our  government  divided 
the  Indians  amongst  themselves  on  the  question  of  war  or  peace 
w^ith  the  whites.  The  Moravians,  part  of  the  Delawares,  and 
some  others  faithfully  endeavored  to  preserve  peace,  but  in  vain. 
The  Indian  maxim  was,  '*he  that  is  not  for  us  is  against  us." 
Hence  the  Moravian  missionaries  and  their  followers  were  several 
times  on  the  point  of  being  murdered  by  the  warriors.  They  would 
*  have  been  done  it  had  it  not  been  for  the  prudent  conduct  of  some 
of  the  war  chiefs. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  local  situation  of  the  Moravian  villages 
excited  the  jealousy  of  the  white  people.  If  they  took  no  direct 
agency  in  the  war,  yet  they  were  as  they  were  then  called,  half-way 
houses"  between  us  and  the  warriors,  at  which  the  latter  could 
stop,  rest,  refresh  themselves,  and  traffic  olf  their  plunder.  Whether 
these  aids,  thus  given  to  our  enemies,  were  contrary  to  the  laws  of 
neutrality  between  belligerents,  is  a  question  which  I  willingly  leave 
to  the  decision  of  civilians.  On  the  part  of  the  Moravians  they 
were  unavoidable.  If  they  did  not  give  or  sell  provisions  to  the 
warriors,  they  would  take  them  by  force.  The  fault  was  in  their 
situation,  not  in  themselves. 

The  longer  the  war  continued,  the  more  our  people  complained 
of  the  situation  of  those  Moravian  villages.  It  was  said  that  it  was 
owing  to  their  being  so  near  us,  that  the  warriors  commenced  their 
depredations  so  early  in  the  spring,  and  continued  them  until  late  in 
the  fall. 

In  the  latter  end  of  the  year  1781,  the  militia  of  the  frontier 
came  to  a  determination  to  break  up  the  Moravian  villages  on  the 
Muskingum.  For  this  purpose  a  detachment  of  our  men  went  out 
under  the  command  of  Col.  David  Williamson,  for  the  purpose  of 
inducing  the  Indians  with  their  teachers  to  move  farther  off,  or 
bring  them  prisoners  to  Fort  Pitt.  When  they  arrived  at  the  vil- 
lages they  found  but  few  Indians,  the  greater  number  of  them  hav- 
ing removed  to  Sandusky.  These  few  were  v/ell  treated  taken  to 
Fort  Pitt,  and  delivered  to  the  commandant  of  that  station,  who 
after  a  short  detention  sent  them  home  again. 

This  procedure  gave  great  offense  to  the  people  of  the  countr^^ 
who  thought  the  Indians  ought  to  have  been  killed.  Col.  William- 
son, who,  before  this  little  campaign,  had  been  a  very  popular 
man,  on  account  of  his  activity  and  bravery  in  war,  now  became 
the  subject  of  severe  animadversion  on  account  of  his  lenity  to  the 
Moravian  Indians.  In  justice  to  his  memory  I  have  to  say,  that 
although  at  that  time  very  young,  I  was  personally  acquainted  with 


MORAVIAN  CAMPAIGN. 


215 


him,  and  from  my  recollection  of  his  conversation,  I  say  with  confi- 
dence that  he  was  a  brave  man,  but  not  cruel.  He  would  meet  an 
enemy  in  battle,  and  fight  like  a  soldier,  but  not  murder  a  pris- 
oner. Had  he  possessed  the  authority  of  a  superior  officer  in  a 
regular  army,  I  do  not  believe  that  a  single  Moravian  Indian  would 
have  lost  his  life  ;  but  he  possessed  no  such  authority.  He  was 
only  a  militia  officer,  who  could  advise,  but  not  command.  His  only 
fault  was  that  of  too  easy  a  compliance  w^th  popular  opinion  and 
popular  prejudice.  On  this  account  his  memory  has  been  loaded 
with,  unmerited  reproach. 

Several  reports  unfavorable  to  the  Moravians  had  been  in  cir- 
culation for  some  time  before  the  campaign  against  them.  One 
w^as,  that  the  night  after  they  v/ere  liberated  at  Fort  Pitt,  they 
crossed  the  River  and  killed  or  made  prisoners  a  family  by  the 
name  of  Monteur.  A  family  on  Buffalo  Creek  had  been  mostly 
killed  in  the  summer  or  the  fall  of  1781  ;  and  it  w'as  said  b}^  one 
of  them,  who,  after  being  made  a  prisoner,  made  his  escape, 
that  the  leader  of  the  party  of  Indians  w^ho  did  the  mischief  was 
a  Moravian.  These  with  other  reports  of  a  similar  import,  ser\'ed 
as  a  pretext  for  their  destruction,  although  no  doubt  they  were 
utterly  false. 

Should  it  be  asked  w^hat  sort  of  people  composed  the  band  of 
murders  of  these  unfortunate  people  ?  I  answer  they  were  not  mis- 
creants or  vagabonds  ;  many  of  them  were  men  of  the  first  stand- 
ing in  the  country  ;  many  of  them  w^ere  men  who  had  recently  lost 
relations  by  the  hands  of  the  savages.  Several  of  the  latter  class 
found  articles  which  had  been  plundered  from  their  own  houses,  or 
those  of  their  relations,  in  the  houses  of  the  Moravians.  One  man, 
it  is  said,  found  the  clothes  of  his  wife  and  children,  who  had  been 
murdered  by  the  Indians  a  few  days  before  ;  they  were  still  bloody  ; 
yet  there  w^as  no  unequivocal  evidence  that  these  people  had  any  dir- 
ect agency  in  the  war.  Whatever  of  our  property  was  found 
with  them  had  been  left  by  the  w^arriors  in  exchange  for  the  provi- 
sions which  they  took  from  them.  When  attacked  by  our  people, 
although  they  might  have  defended  themselves,  they  did  not ;  the}^ 
never  fired  a  single  shot.  They  w^ere  prisoners  and  had  been  prom- 
ised protection.  Every  dictate  of  justice  and  humanity  required 
that  their  lives  should  be  spared.  The  complaint  of  their  villages 
being  "half-way  houses  for  the  warriors,"  was  at  an  end,  as  they 
had  been  removed  to  Sandusky  the  fall  before.  It  w^as  therefore 
an  atrocious  and  unqualified  murder.  By  whom  committed — by  a 
majority  of  the  campaign?  For  the  honour  of  my  countrj^  I  hope 
I  may  safely  answer  this  question  in  the  negative.  It  was  one  of 
those  convulsions  of  the  moral  state  of  society,  in  w^hich  the  voice 
of  the  justice  and  humanit}^  of  a  majority  is  silenced  by  the 
clamor  and  violence  of  a  lawless  minority.  Very  few  of  our  men 
imbrued  their  hands  in  the  blood  of  the  Moravians.  Even  those 
who  had  not  voted  for  saving  their  lives,  retired  from  the  scene  of 


2l6 


MORAVIAN  CAMPAIGN. 


slaughter  with  horror  and  disgust.  Why  then  did  they  not  give 
their  votes  in  their  favor  ?  The  fear  of  public  indignation  restrain- 
ed them  from  doing  so.  They  thought  Vv^ell,  but  had  not  hero- 
ism enough  to  express  their  opinion.  Those  who  did  so,  deserve 
honorable  mention  for  their  intripidity.  So  far  as  it  may  here- 
after be  in  my  power,  this  honor  shall  be  done  them,  while  the 
names  of  the  murders  shall  not  stain  the  pages  of  history j  from  my 
pen  at  least. 


INDIAN  SUMMER. 


217 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  INDIAN  SUMMER. 

As  connected  with  the  history  of  the  Indian  wars  of  the  western 
countrj^  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  give  an  explanation  of  the  term 
Indian  Summer." 

This  expression,  like  many  others,  has  continued  in  general 
use,  notwithstanding  its  original  import  has  been  forgotten.  A 
backwoodsman  seldom  hears  this  expression  without  feeling  a  chill 
of  horror,  because  it  brings  to  his  mind  the  painful  recollection  of  its 
original  application.  Such  is  the  force  of  the  faculty  of  association 
in  human  nature. 

The  reader  must  here  be  reminded,  that,  during  the  long  con- 
tinued Indian  wars  sustained  by  the  first  settlers  of  the  west,  they 
enjoyed  no  peace  excepting  in  the  winter  season,  when,  owing  to 
the  severity  of  the  weather,  the  Indians  were  unable  to  make  their 
excursions  into  the  settlements.  The  onset  of  winter  was  therefore 
hailed  has  a  jubilee  by  the  early  inhabitants  of  the  country,  who, 
throughout  the  spring  and  early  part  of  the  fall,  had  been  cooped 
up  in  their  little  uncomfortable  Forts,  and  subjected  to  all  the  dis- 
tresses of  the  Indian  wars. 

At  the  approach  of  winter,  therefore,  all  the  farmers,  except- 
ing the  owner  of  the  Fort,  removed  to  the  cabins  on  the  farms, with 
the  joyful  feelings  of  a  tenant  of  a  prison  recovering  his  release  from 
confinement.  All  was  bustle  and  hilarity  in  preparing  for  winter, 
by  gathering  in  the  corn,  digging  potatoes,  fattening  hogs,  and  re- 
pairing the  cabins.  To  our  forefathers  the  gloomy  months  of  win- 
ter were  more  pleasant  than  the  zephyrs  of  the  flowers  and  May. 

It,  however,  sometimes  happened,  after  the  apparent  onset  of 
winter,  the  weather  became  warm  ;  the  smoky  time  commenced, 
and  lasted  for  a  considerable  number  of  days.  This  was  the  Indian 
Summer,  because  it  afforded  the  Indians  another  opportunity  of 
visiting  the  settlements  with  their  destructive  warfare.  The  melt- 
ing of  the  snow  saddened  every  countenance,  and  the  genial  warmth 
of  the  sun  chilled  every  heart  with  honor.  The  apprehension  of  an- 
other visit  from  the  Indians,  and  of  being  driven  back  to  the  detest- 
ed Fort,  was  painful  to  the  highest  degree,  and  the  distressing  ap- 
prehension was  frequently  realized. 

Toward  the  latter  part  of  February  we  commonly  had  a  fine 

28 


2l8 


INDIAN  SUMMER. 


spell  of  open  v^^arm  weather,  during  which  the  snow  melted  away. 
This  was  denominated  the  "  pawwawing  days,"  from  the  supposi- 
tion that  the  Indians  were  then  holding  their  war  councils,  for 
planning  off  their  spring  campaigns  into  the  settlements.  Sad  experi- 
ence taught  us  that  in  this  conjecture  we  were  not  often  mistaken. 

Sometimes  it  happened  that  the  Indians  ventured  to  make  their 
excursions  too  late  in  the  fall  or  too  earl}^  in  the  spring  for  their 
ovv^n  convenience. 

A  man  of  the  name  of  John  Carpenter  was  taken  early  in  the 
month  of  March,  in  the  neighborhood  of  what  is  now  Wellsburg. 
There  had  been  several  warm  days,  but  on  the  night  preceding  his 
capture  there  was  a  heavy  fall  of  snow.  His  two  horses,  which 
they  took  with  him,  nearly  perished  in  swimming  the  Ohio  River. 
The  Indians  as  well  as  himself  suffered  severely  with  the  cold  before 
the}^  reached  the  Moravian  towns  on  the  Muskingum  River.  In  the 
morning  after  the  first  day's  journe}^  beyond  the  Moravian  towns, 
the  Indians  sent  out  Carpenter  to  bring  in  the  horses,  which  had 
been  turned  out  in  the  evening,  after  being  hobbled.  The  horse  had 
made  a  circuit,  and  fallen  into  the  trail  by  which  they  came,  and  were 
making  their  way  homewards. 

When  Carpenter  overtook  them,  and  had  taken  off  their  fet- 
ters, he  had,  as  he  said,  to  make  a  most  i^.wful  decision.  He  had  a 
chance  and  barely  a  chance  to  make  his  ei-cape,  with  a  certainty  of 
death  should  he  attempt  it  without  success  ;  while  on  the  other  hand, 
the  horrible  prospect  of  being  tortured  to  death  by  fire  presented  it- 
self. As  he  was  the  first  prisoner  taken  that  spring,  of  course  the 
general  custom  of  the  Indians,  of  burning  the  first  prisoner  every 
vSpring,  doomed  him  to  the  flames. 

After  spending  a  few  minutes  in  making  his  decision,  he  re- 
solved on  attempting  an  escape,  and  effected  it  by  way  of  Forts  Laur- 
ens, Mcintosh  and  Pittsburg.  If  I  recollect  rightly,  he  brought 
both  his  horses  home  with  him.  This  happened  in  the  year  1782. 
The  capture  of  Mr.  Carpenter,  and  the  murder  of  two  families  about 
the  same  time,  that  is  to  say,  in  the  two  or  three  first  days  of  March, 
contributed  materially  to  the  Moravian  campaign,  and  the  murder 
of  that  unfortunate  people. 


CRAWFORD'S  CAMPAIGN. 


219 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
GEN.  CRAV/FORD'S  CAMPAIGN.* 

This,  in  one  point  of  viev/  at  least,  is  to  be  considered  as  a 
second  Moravian  campaign,  as  one  of  its  objects  was  that  of  finish- 
ing the  work  of  murder  and  plunder  with  the  Christian  Indians  at 
their  new  establishment  on  the  Sandusky  River.  The  next  object 
was  of  destroying  the  Wyandotte  towns  on  the  same  River.  It  was 
the  resolution  of  all  those  concerned  in  this  expedition,  not  to  spare 
the  life  of  any  Indians  that  might  fall  into  their  hands,  whether 
friends  or  foes.  It  will  be  seen  in  the  sequel  that  the  result  of  this 
campaign  was  widely  different  from  that  of  the  Moravian  campaign 
the  preceding  March. 

It  should  seem  that  the  long  continuance  of  the  Indian  war  had 
debased  a  considerable  portion  of  our  population  to  the  savage  state 
of  our  nature.  Having  lost  so  many  relatives  by  the  Indians,  and 
witnessed  their  horrid  murders  and  other  depredations  on  so  exten- 
sive a  scale,  they  became  subjects  of  that  indiscriminate  thirst  for 
revenge,  which  is  such  a  prominent  feature  in  the  savage  character  ; 
and  having  had  a  taste  of  blood  and  plunder,  without  risk  or  loss  on 
their  part,  they  resolved  to  go  on  and  kill  every  Indian  they  could 
find,  whether  friend  or  foe. 

Preparations  for  this  campaign  commenced  soon  after  the  close 
of  the  Moravian  campaign,  in  the  month  of  March  ;  and  as  it  v/as 
intended  to  make  what  was  called  at  that  time  "  a  dash,"  that  is, 
an  enterprise  conducted  with  secrecy  and  dispatch,  the  m.en  were  all 
mounted  on  the  best  horses  they  could  procure.  They  furnished 
themselves  with  their  own  outfits,  except  some  ammunition,  which 
was  furnished  by  the  Lieut. -colonel  of  Washington  county. 

On  the  25th  of  May,  1782,  four  hundred  and  eighty  men  mus- 
tered at  the  old  Mingo  towns,  on  the  western  side  of  the  Ohio 
River.  They  were  all  volunteers  from  the  immediate  neighboor- 
hood  of  the  Ohio  River,  with  the  exception  of  one  company  from 
Ten  Mile,  in  Washington  county.  Here  an  election  was  held  for 
the  ofiice  of  Commander-in-chief  for  the  expedition.  The  candi- 
dates were  Col.  Williamson  and  Col.  Crawford.  The  latter  was  the 
successful  candidate.  When  notified  of  his  appointment  it  is  said 
that  he  accepted  it  with  apparent  reluctance. 

The  army  marched  along  "  Williamson's  trail,"  as  it  was  then 


220 


CRAWFORD'S  CAMPAIGN. 


called,  until  they  arrived  at  the  Upper  Moravian  town,  in  the  fields 
belonging  to  which  there  was  still  plenty  of  corn  on  the  stalks,  with 
which  their  horses  were  plentifully  fed  during  the  night  of  their  en- 
campment there. 

Shortly  after  the  army  halted  at  this  place,  two  Indians  were 
discovered  by  three  men,  who  had  walked  some  distance  out  of  the 
camp.  Three  shots  were  fired  at  one  of  them,  but  without  hurting 
him.  As  soon  as  the  news  of  the  discovery  of  Indians  had  reached 
the  camp,  more  than  one-half  the  men  rushed  out,  without  com- 
mand, and  in  the  most  tumultuous  manner,  to  see  what  happened. 
From  that  time,  Col.  Crawford  felt  a  presentiment  of  the  defeat 
which  followed. 

The  truth  is,  that  notwithstanding  the  secrecy  and  dispatch  of 
the  enterprise,  the  Indians  were  beforehand  with  our  people.  They 
saw  the  rendezvous  on  the  Mingo  Bottom,  and  knew  their  number 
and  destination.  They  visited  every  encampment  immediately  on 
their  leaving  it,  and  saw  from  their  writing  on  the  trees  and  scraps 
of  paper,  that  "  no  quarters  was  to  be  given  to  any  Indian,  whether 
man,  woman  or  child." 

Nothing  material  happened  during  their  march  until  the  6th  of 
June,  when  their  guides  conducted  them  to  the  site  of  the  Moravian 
villages,  on  one  of  the  upper  branches  of  the  Sandusky  River  ;  but 
here,  instead  of  meeting  with  Indians  and  plunder,  they  met  with 
nothing  but  vestiges  of  desolation.  The  place  was  covered  with 
high  grass  ;  and  the  remains  of  a  few  huts  alone  announced  that  the 
place  had  been  the  residence  of  the  people  whom  they  intended  to 
destroy,  but  who  moved  off  to  Scioto  some  time  before. 

In  this  dilemma,  what  was  to  be  done  ?  The  officers  held  a 
council,  in  which  it  was  determined  to  march  one  day  longer  in  the 
direction  of  the  Upper  Sandusky,  and  if  they  should  not  reach  the 
town  in  the  course  of  the  day,  to  make  a  retreat  with  all  speed. 

The  march  was  commenced  on  the  next  morning  through  the 
plains  of  Sandusky,  and  continued  until  about  two  o'clock,  when 
the  advance  guard  was  attacked  and  driven  in  by  the  Indians,  who 
were  discovered  in  large  numbers  in  the  high  grass  with  which  the 
place  was  covered.  The  Indian  army  was  at  that  moment  about 
entering  a  piece  of  woods,  almost  entirely  surrounded  by  plains ; 
but  in  this  they  were  disappointed  by  a  rapid  movement  of  our  men. 
The  battle  then  commenced  by  a  heavy  fire  on  both  sides.  From  a 
partial  possession  of  the  woods  which  they  had  gained  at  the  onset 
of  the  battle,  the  Indians  were  soon  dislodged.  They  then  at- 
tempted to  gain  a  small  skirt  of  wood  on  our  right  flank,  but  were 
prevented  from  doing  so  by  the  vigilance  and  bravery  of  Maj.  Leet, 
who  commanded  the  right  wing  of  the  army  at  that  time.  The  fir- 
ing was  incessant  and  heavy  until  dark,  when  it  ceased.  Both  arm- 
ies lay  on  their  arms  during  the  night.  But  adopted  the  policy  of 
kindling  large  fires  along  the  line  of  battle,  and  then  retiring  some 
distance  in  the  rear  of  them,  to  prevent  beins:  surprised  by  a  night 


CRAWFORD'S  CAMPAIGN. 


221 


attack.  During  the  conflict  of  the  afternoon  three  of  our  men  were 
killed  and  several  wounded. 

In  the  morning  our  army  occupied  the  battle  ground  of  the 
preceding  day.  The  Indians  made  no  attack  during  the  day,  until 
late  in  the  evening,  but  were  seen  in  large  bodies  traversing  the 
plains  in  various  directions.  Some  of  them  appeared  to  be  employed 
in  carrying  off  their  dead  and  wounded. 

In  the  morning,  of  this  day,  a  council  of  the  officers  were  held, 
in  which  a  retreat  was  resolved  on,  as  the  only  means  of  saving  their 
army,  the  Indians  appeared  to  increase  in  numbers  every  hour. 
During  the  sitting  of  this  council,  Col.  Williamson  proposed  taking 
one  hundred  and  fifty  volunteers,  and  marching  directly  to  Upper 
Sandusky.  This  proposition  the  Commander-in-chief  promptly  re- 
jected, saying,  *'  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  you  would  reach  the  town, 
but  you  would  find  nothing  there  but  empty  wigwams  ;  and  having 
taken  off  so  many  of  our  best  men,  you  would  leave  the  rest  to  be 
destroyed  by  the  hosts  of  Indians  with  which  we  are  now  surround- 
ed, and  on  your  return  they  would  attack  and  destroy  you.  They 
care  nothing  about  defending  their  towns — they  are  worth  nothing. 
Their  squaws,  children  and  property,  have  been  removed  from  them 
long  since.  Our  lives  and  baggage  are  what  they  want,  and  if  they 
can  get  us  divided  they  will  soon  have  them.  We  must  stay  to- 
gether and  do  the  best  we  can. ' ' 

During  this  day  preparations  Vv^ere  made  for  a  retreat  by  bury- 
ing the  dead  and  burning  fires  over  their  graves  to  prevent  discov- 
ery, and  preparing  means  for  carrying  off  the  wounded.  The  re- 
treat was  to  commence  in  the  course  of  the  night.  The  Indians, 
how^ever,  became  apprised  of  the  intended  retreat,  and  about  sun- 
down attacked  the  army  with  great  force  and  fury,  in  every  direc- 
tion excepting  that  of  Sandusky. 

When  the  line  of  march  was  formed  by  the  Commander-in- 
chief,  and  the  retreat  commenced,  our  guides  prudently  took  the 
direction  of  Sandusky,  which  afforded  the  only  opening  in  the  In- 
dian lines  and  the  only  chance  of  concealment.  After  marching 
about  a  mile  in  this  direction,  the  army  wheeled  about  to  the  left, 
and  by  a  circuituous  route  gained  the  trail  bv  which  they  came,  be- 
fore day.  They  continued  their  march  the  whole  of  next  day,  with 
a  trifling  annoyance  from  the  Indians,  who  fired  a  few  distant  shots 
at  the  rear  guard,  which  slightly  w'ounded  tv/o  or  three  men.  At 
night  they  built  fires,  took  their  suppers,  secured  the  horses  and  re- 
signed themselves  to  repose,  w^ithout  placing  a  single  sentinel  or 
vidette  for  safety.  In  this  careless  situation,  they  might  have  been 
surprised  and  cut  off  by  the  Indians,  who,  however,  gave  them  no 
disturbance  during  the  night,  nor  afterwards  during  the  whole  of 
their  retreat.  The  number  of  those  composing  the  main  bod}^  in  the 
retreat  was  supposed  to  be  about  three  hundred. 

Most  unfortunately,  when  a  retreat  was  resolved  on,  a  difference 
of  opinion  prevailed  concerning  the  best  mode  of  effecting  it.  The 


222 


CRAWFORD'S  CAMPAIGN. 


greater  number  thought  it  best  to  keep  in  a  body  and  retreat  as  fast 
as  possible,  while  a  considerable  number  thought  it  safest  to  break 
off  in  small  parties,  and  make  their  way  home  in  different  directions, 
avoiding  the  route  by  which  they  came.  Accordingly  many  at- 
tempted to  do  so,  calculating  that  the  whole  body  of  the  Indians 
would  follow  the  main  army.  In  this  they  were  entirely  mistaken. 
The  Indians  paid  but  little  attention  to  the  main  body  of  the  army, 
but  pursued  the  small  parties  with  such  activity,  that  but  very  few 
of  those  who  composed  them  made  their  escape. 

The  only  successful  party  who  were  detached  from  the  main 
army,  was  that  of  about  forty  men  under  the  command  of  a  Capt. 
Williamson,  who,  pretty  late  in  the  night  of  the  retreat,  broke 
through  the  Indian  lines  under  a  severe  fire  and  with  some  loss,  and 
overtook  the  main  army  on  the  morning  of  the  second  day  of  the 
retreat. 

For  several  days  after  the  retreat  of  our  army,  the  Indians  were 
spread  over  the  whole  country,  from  Sandusky  to  the  Muskingum, 
in  pursuit  of  the  straggling  parties,  most  of  whom  were  killed  on 
the  spot.  They  even  pursued  them  almost  to  the  banks  of  the  Ohio. 
A  man  of  the  name  of  Mills  was  killed,  two  miles  to  the  eastward  of 
the  site  of  St.  Clairsville,  in  the  direction  of  Wheeling  from  that 
place.  The  number  killed  in  this  way  must  be  very  great ;  the  pre- 
cise amount,  however  was  never  fairly  ascertained. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  retreat.  Col.  Crawford  placed  him- 
self at  the  head  of  the  army,  and  continued  there  until  they  had 
gone  about  a  quarter  of  mile,  when  missing  his  son,  John  Crawford, 
his  son-in-law,  Maj.  Harrison,  and  his  nephews,  Maj.  Rose  and 
William  Crawford,  he  halted  and  called  for  them  as  the  line  passed, 
but  without  finding  them.  After  the  army  had  passed  him,  he  was 
unable  to  overtake  it,  owing  to  the  weariness  of  his  horse.  Fall- 
ing in  company  with  Dr.  Knight  and  two  others,  they  traveled 
all  the  night,  first  north,  and  then  to  the  east,  to  avoid  the  pursuit 
of  the  Indians.  They  directed  their  course  during  the  night  by  the 
north  star. 

On  the  next  day  they  fell  in  with  Capt.  John  Biggs  and  Lieut. 
Ashley,  the  latter  of  whom  was  severely  wounded.  There  were  two 
others  in  the  company  with  Biggs  and  Ashley.  They  encamped 
together  the  succeeding  night.  On  the  next  day,  while  on 
their  march,  they  were  attacked  by  a  party  of  Indians,  who  made 
Col.  Crawford  and  Dr.  Knight  prisoners.  The  other  four  made 
their  escape  ;  but  Captain  Biggs  and  Lieutenant  Ashley  were  killed 
the  next  day. 

Col.  Crawford  and  Dr.  Knight  were  immediately  taken  to  an 
Indian  encampment,  at  a  short  distance  from  the  place  where  they 
were  captured.  Here  they  found  nine  fellow  prisoners  and  seven- 
teen Indians.  On  the  next  day  they  were  marched  to  the  old 
Wyandotte  town,  and  on  the  next  morning  were  paraded,  to  set 


CRAWFORD'S  CAMPAIGN. 


223 


off,  as  they  were  told,  to  go  to  the  new  town.  But  alas  !  a  very 
different  destination  awaited  these  captives  !  Nine  of  these  prison- 
ers were  marched  off  some  distance  before  the  Colonel  and  the  Doc- 
tor, who  were  conducted  b}-  Pipe  and  Wingemond,  Delaware  chiefs. 
Four  of  the  prisoners  were  tomahawked  and  scalped  on  the  way,  at 
different  places. 

Preparations  had  been  made  for  the  execution  of  Col.  Craw- 
ford, by  setting  a  post  about  fifteen  feet  high  in  the  ground,  and 
making  a  large  fire  of  hickory  poles  about  six  j^ards  from  it. 
About  half  a  mile  from  the  place  of  execution,  the  remaining  five  of 
the  nine  prisoners  were  tomahavvdied  and  scalped  by  a  number  of 
squaws  and  boys. 

When  arrived  at  the  fire,  the  Colonel  was  stripped  and  ordered 
to  sit  down.  He  was  then  severely  beaten  with  sticks,  and  after- 
wards tied  to  the  post,  by  a  rope  of  such  length  as  to  allow  him  to 
walk  tw^o  or  three  times  around  it,  and  then  back  again.  This 
done,  they  began  the  torture  by  discharging  a  great  number  of  loads 
of  powder  upon  him,  from  head  to  foot ;  after  which  they  began  to 
apply  the  burning  ends  of  the  hickory  poles,  the  squaws  in  the  mean 
time  throwing  coals  and  hot  ashes  on  his  bod}-,  so  that  in  a  little 
time  he  had  nothing  but  coals  to  walk  on.  In  the  midst  of  his  suf- 
ferings, he  begged  of  the  noted  Simon  Girty  to  take  pity  on  him 
and  shoot  him.  Girty  tauntingly  answered,  "  You  see  I  have  no 
gun,  I  cannot  shoot;"  and  laughed  heartily  at  the  scene.  After 
suffering  about  three  hours  he  became  faint  and  fell  down  on  his 
face.  An  Indian  then  scalped  him,  and  an  old  squaw  threw  a  quan- 
tity of  burning  coals  on  the  place  from  which  the  scalp  w^as  taken. 
After  this  he  rose  and  walked  around  the  post  a  little,  but  did  not 
live  much  longer.  After  he  expired,  his  body  was  thrown  into  the 
fire  and  consumed  to  ashes.  Col.  Crawford's  son  and  son-in-law 
were  executed  at  the  Shawnee  towns. 

Dr.  Knight  was  doomed  to  be  burned  at  a  town  about  forty 
miles  distant  from  Sandusky,  and  committed  to  the  care  of  a  young 
Indian  to  be  taken  there.  The  first  day  they  traveled  about  twent}^- 
five  miles,  and  encamped  for  the  night.  In  the  morning,  the  gnats 
being  very  troublesome,  the  Doctor  requested  the  Indian  to  untie 
him,  that  he  might  help  him  to  make  a  fire  to  keep  them  off.  With 
this  request  the  Indian  complied.  While  the  Indian  was  on  his 
knees  and  elbows,  blowing  the  fire,  the  Doctor  caught  up  a  piece  of 
a  tent  pole  which  had  been  burned  in  two,  about  eighteen  inches 
long,  with  which  he  struck  the  Indian  on  the  head  with  all  his 
might,  so  as  to  knock  him  forward  into  the  fire.  The  stick  how- 
ever broke,  so  that  the  Indian,  although  severely  hurt,  was  not 
killed,  but  immediately  sprang  up.  On  this  the  Doctor  caught  up 
the  Indians  gun  to  shoot  him,  but  drew  back  the  cock  with  so  much 
violence  that  he  broke  the  main  spring.  The  Indian  ran  off  with 
hideous  yelling.  Dr.  Knight  then  made  the  best  of  his  way  home, 
which  he  reached  in  twenty-one  days,  almost  famished  to  death. 


224 


CRAWFORD'S  CAMPAIGN. 


The  gun  being  of  no  use,  after  carrying  it  a  day  or  two  he  iett  it 
behind.  On  his  journey  he  subsisted  on  roots,  a  few  young  birds 
and  berries. 

A  Mr.  Slover,  who  had  been  a  prisoner  among  the  Indians,  and 
was  one  of  the  pilots  of  the  army,  was  also  taken  prisoner  to  one  of 
the  Shawnee  towns  on  the  Scioto  River.  After  being  there  a  few 
days,  and  as  he  thought,  in  favor  with  the  Indians,  a  council  of  the 
chiefs  was  held,  in  which  it  was  resolved  that  he  should  be  burned. 
The  fires  were  kindled,  and  he  was  blackened  and  tied  to  a  stake,  in 
an  uncovered  end  of  the  council-house.  Just  as  they  were  about 
commencing  the  torture,  there  came  up  suddenly  a  heavy  thunder 
gust,  with  a  great  fall  of  rain  which  put  out  the  fires.  After  the 
rain  was  over  the  Indians  concluded  that  it  was  then  too  late  to 
commence  and  finish  the  torture  that  day,  and  therefore  postponed 
it  until  the  next  da}^  Slover  was  then  loosed  from  the  stake,  con- 
ducted to  an  empty  house,  to  a  log  of  which  he  was  fastened  with  a 
buffalo  tug  around  his  neck,  while  his  arms  were  pinioned  behind 
him  with  a  cord.  Until  late  in  the  night  the  Indians  sat  up 
smoking  and  talking.  They  frequentlj^  asked  Slover  how  he  would 
like  to  eat  fire  the  next  day.  At  length  one  of  them  laid  down  and 
went  to  sleep  ;  the  other  continued  smoking  and  talking  with 
Slover.  Sometime  after  midnight,  he  also  laid  down  and  went  to 
sleep.  Slover  then  resolved  to  make  an  effort  to  get  loose  if  possi- 
ble, and  soon  extricated  one  of  his  hands  from  the  cord,  and  then 
fell  to  work  with  the  tug  round  his  neck,  but  without  effect.  He 
had  not  been  long  engaged  in  these  efforts,  before  one  of  the  In- 
dians got  up  and  smoked  his  pipe  awhile.  During  this  time  Slover 
kept  very  still  for  fear  of  an  examination.  The  Indian  laying  down, 
the  prisoner  renewed  his  efforts,  but  for  some  time  without  effect, 
and  he  resigned  himself  to  his  fate.  After  resting  for  awhile,  he 
resolved  to  make  another  and  last  effort,  and  as  he  related,  put  his 
hand  to  the  tug,  and  without  difficulty,  slipped  it  over  his  head. 
The  day  was  just  then  breaking.  He  sprang  over  a  fence  into  a 
corn  field,  but  had  proceeded  but  a  little  distance  in  the  field,  before  he 
came  across  a  squaw  and  several  children,  lying  asleep  under  a  Mul- 
berry tree.  He  then  changed  his  course  for  part  of  the  commons  of 
the  town,  on  which  he  saw  some  horses  feeding.  Passing  over  the 
fence  from  the  corn  field,  he  found  a  piece  of  an  old  quilt.  This  he 
took  with  him,  and  was  the  onlj^  covering  he  had.  He  then  untied 
the  cord  from  the  other  arm,  w^hich  by  this  time  was  very  much 
swollen.  Having  selected,  as  he  thought,  the  best  horse  on  the 
common,  he  tied  the  cord  to  his  lower  jaw,  mounted  him  and  rode 
off  at  full  speed.  The  horse  gave  out  about  ten  o'clock,  so  that  he 
had  to  leave  him.  He  then  traveled  on  foot  with  a  stick  in 
one  hand,  with  which  he  put  the  weeds  behind  him,  for  fear 
of  being  tracked  by  the  Indians.  In  the  other  he  carried*a  bunch 
of  bushes  to  brush  the  gnats  and  mosquitoes  from  his  naked 
body.    Being  perfectly  acquainted  with  the  route,  he  reached  the 


CRAWFORD'S  CAMPAIGN. 


225 


Ohio  River  in  a  short  time,  almost  famished  with  hunger  and  ex- 
haused  with  fatigue. 

Thus  ended  this  disastrous  campaign.  It  was  the  last  one 
which  took  place  in  this  section  of  the  country  during  the  revolu- 
tionary contest  of  the  Americans  with  the  mother  country.  It  was 
undertaken  with  the  very  worst  of  views,  those  of  murder  and  plun- 
der. It  was  conducted  without  sufficient  means  to  encounter,  with 
any  pro.spect  of  success,  the  large  force  of  Indians  opposed  to  ours 
in  the  plains  of  Sandusky.  It  was  conducted  without  that  subordi- 
nation and  discipline,  so  requisite  to  insure  success  in  an}^  hazardous 
enterprise,  and  it  ended  in  a  total  discomforture.  Never  did  an  en- 
terprise more  completely  fail  of  attaining  its  object.  Never,  on  any 
occasion,  had  the  ferocious  savages  more  ample  revenge  for  the 
murder  of  their  pacific  friends,  than  that  which  they  obtained  on 
this  occasion. 

Should  I  be  avSked  what' considerations  led  so  great  a  number  of 
people  into  this  desperate  enterprise  ? — why  with  so  small  a  force 
and  such  slender  means  they  pushed  on  so  far  as  the  plains  of  San- 
dusky? I  reply,  that  many  believed  that  the  Moravian  Indians, 
taking  no  part  in  the  Vv^ar,  and  having  given  offense  to  the  warriors 
on  several  occasions,  their  belligerent  friends  would  not  take  up 
arms  in  their  behalf.  In  this  conjecture  they  were  sadly  mistaken. 
They  did  defend  them  with  all  the  force  at  their  command,  and  no 
wonder,  for  notwithstanding  the  christian  and  pacific  principles,  the 
warriors  regarded  the  Moravians  as  their  relations,  whom  it  was 
their  duty  to  defend. 

The  reflections  which  naturally  arise  out  of  the  history  of  the 
Indian  war  in  the  western  country,  during  our  revolutionary  con- 
test with  Great  Britain,  are  not  calculated  to  do  honor  to  human 
nature,  even  its  civilized  state.  On  our  side,  indeed,  as  to  our  infant 
government,  the  case  is  not  so  bad.  Our  Congress  faithfully  en- 
deavored to  prevent  the  Indians  from  taking  part  in  the  war  on 
either  side.  The  English  government,  on  the  other  hand,  made 
allies  of  as  many  of  the  Indian  nations  as  they  could,  and  they  im- 
posed no  restraint  on  their  savage  mode  of  warfare.  On  the  con- 
trary, the  commandants  at  their  posts  along  our  western  frontier  re- 
ceived and  paid  the  Indians  for  scalps  and  prisoners.  Thus  the  skin 
of  a  white  man's  or  even  a  woman's  head  served  in  the  hands  of  the 
Indian  as  current  coin,  which  he  exchanged  for  arms  and  ammuni- 
tion, for  the  farther  prosecution  of  his  barbarous  w^arfare,  and  cloth- 
ing to  cover  his  half  naked  body.  Were  not  these  rewards  the  price  . 
of  blood  ?  of  blood  shed  in  a  cruel  manner,  on  an  exhaustive  scale  ; 
but  without  advantage  to  that  government  which  employed  the  sav- 
ages in  their  warfare  against  their  relatives  and  fellow-christians,  and 
paid  for  their  murders  by  the  peace  ! 

The  enlightened  historian  must  view  the  whole  of  the  Indian 
war  from  the  commencement  of  the  revolutionary  contest,  in  no  other 
light  than  a  succession  of  the  most  wanton  murders  of  all  ages,  from 
29 


226 


CRAWFORD'S  CAMPAIGN. 


helpless  infancy  to  decript  old  age,  and  of  both  sexes,  without  ob- 
ject and  without  effect. 

On  our  side,  it  is  true,  the  pressure  of  the  war  along  our  Atlan- 
tic border  was  such  that  our  government  could  not  furnish  the  means 
for  making  a  conquest  of  the  Indian  nations  at  war  against  us.  The 
people  of  the  western  country,  poor  as  they  were  at  that  time, 
and  unaided  by  government,  could  not  subdue  them.  Our  cam- 
paign, hastily  undertaken,  without  sufficient  force  and  means,  and 
illy  executed,  resulted  in  nothing  beneficial.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
Indians,  with  the  aids  their  allies  could  give  them  in  the  western 
country,  were  not  able  to  make  a  conquest  of  the  settlement  on  this 
side  of  the  mountains.  On  the  contrary,  our  settlements  and  the 
Forts  belonging  to  them  became  stronger  and  stronger  from  year  to 
year  during  the  whole  continuance  of  the  wars.  It  was  therefore 
a  war  of  mutual,  but  unavailing  slaughter,  devastation  and  revenge, 
over  whose  record  humanity  still  dops  a  tear  of  regret,  but  that  tear 
cannot  efface  its  disgraceful  history. 


ATTACK  ON  RICE'S  FORT. 


227 


CHAPTKR  IX. 
ATTACK  ON  RICB'S  FORT. 

This  Fort  consisted  of  some  cabins  and  a  small  block-house, 
and  was,  in  dangerous  times,  the  residence  and  place  of  refuge  for 
twelve  families  of  its  immediate  neighborhood.  It  was  situated  on 
Buffalo  Creek,  about  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  from  its  junction  with 
the  Ohio  River. 

Previous  to  the  attack  on  this  Fort^  which  took  place  in  the 
month  of  September,  1782,  several  of  the  men  belonging  to  the  Fort 
had  gone  to  Hagerstown,  to  exchange  their  peltry  and  furs  for  salt, 
iron  and  ammunition,  as  was  the  usual  custom  of  those  times. 
They  had  gone  on  this  journey  somewhat  earlier  that  season  than 
usual,  because  there  had  been  "a  still  time,"  that  is,  no  recent 
alarms  of  the  Indians. 

A  few  days  before  the  attack  on  this  Fort,  about  three  hundred 
Indians  had  made  their  last  attack  on  Wheeling  Fort.  On  the  third 
night  of  the  investment  of  Wheeling,  the  Indian  chiefs  held  a  coun- 
cil, in  which  it  was  determined  that  the  siege  of  Wheeling  should  be 
raised,  two  hundred  of  the  warriors  return  home,  and  the  remaining 
hundred  of  picked  men  make  a  dash  into  the  country  and  strike  a 
heavy  blow  somewhere  before  their  return.  It  was  their  determina- 
tion to  take  a  Fort  somewhere  and  massacre  all  its  people,  in  re- 
venge for  their  defeat  at  Wheeling. 

News  of  the  plan  adopted  by  the  Indians,  was  given  by  two 
white  men,  who  had  been  made  prisoners  when  lads,  raised  among 
the  Indians  and  taken  to  war  with  them.  These  men  deserted  from 
them  soon  after  their  council  at  the  close  of  the  seige  of  Wheeling. 
The  notice  was  indeed  but  short,  but  it  reached  Rice's  Fort  about 
half  an  hour  before  the  commencement  of  the  attack.  The  intel- 
ligence was  brought  by  Mr.  Jacob  Miller,  who  received  it  at  Dr. 
Moore's  in  the  neighborhood  of  Washington.  Making  all  speed 
home  he  fortunately  arrived  in  time  to  assist  in  the  defense  of 
the  place.  On  receiving  this  news,  the  people  of  the  Fort  felt  as- 
sured that  the  blow  was  intended  for  them,  and  in  this  conjecture 
they  were  not  mistaken.  But  little  time  was  allowed  them  for 
preparation. 

The  Indians  had  surrounded  the  place  before  they  were  discov- 
ed  ;  but  they  were  still  at  some  distance.  When  discovered,  the 
alarm  was  given,  on  which  every  man  run  to  his  cabin  for  his  gim. 


228 


ATTACK  ON  RICK'S  FORT. 


and  took  refuge  in  the  block-house.  The  Indians,  answering  the 
alarm  with  a  war-whoop  from  their  whole  line,  commenced  firing 
and  running  towards  the  Fort  from  every  direction.  It  was  evi- 
dently their  intention  to  take  the  place  by  assault ;  but  the  fire  of  the 
Indians  was  answered  by  that  of  six  brave  and  skillful  sharpshoot- 
ers. This  unexpected  reception  prevented  the  intended  assault, 
and  made  the  Indians  take  refuge  behind  logs,  stumps  and  trees. 
The  firing  continued  with  little  intermission  for  about  four  hours. 

In  the  intervals  of  the  firing,  the  Indians  frequently  called  out 
to  the  people  of  the  Fort,  "  Give  up,  give  up,  too  many  Indian  ;  In- 
dian too  big  ;  no  kill."  They  were  answered  with  defiance,  "  Come 
on,  you  cowards  ;  w^e  are  ready  for  you  ;  show  us  your  yellow  hides, 
we  will  make  holes  in  them  for  you." 

During  the  evening,  many  of  the  Indians  at  some  distance  from 
the  Fort,  amused  themselves  by  shooting  the  horses,  cattle,  hogs  and 
sheep  until  the  bottom  was  strewed  with  the  dead  bodies. 

About  ten  o'clock  at  night  the  Indians  set  fire  to  a  barn  about 
thirty  yards  from  the  Fort.  It  was  large  and  full  of  grain  and  hay. 
The  flame  was  frightful,  and  at  first  it  seemed  to  endanger  the 
burning  of  the  Fort,  but  the  barn  stood  on  lower  ground  than  the 
Fort.  The  night  was  calm,  with  the  exception  of  a  slight  breeze  up 
the  Creek.  This  carried  the  flame  and  burning  splinters  in  a  differ- 
ent direction,  so  that  the  burning  of  the  barn,  which  at  first  was  re- 
garded as  dangerous,  if  not  fatal  occurrence,  proved  in  the  issue 
the  means  of  throwing  a  strong  light  to  a  great  distance  in  every  dir- 
ection, so  that  the  Indians  durst  not  approach  the  Fort  to  set  fire  to 
the  cabins,  which  they  might  have  done  at  little  risk,  under  the 
cover  of  darkness. 

After  the  barn  was  set  on  fire,  the  Indians  collected  on  the  side 
of  the  Fort  opposite  the  barn,  so  as  to  have  the  advantage  of  the 
light,  and  kept  up  a  pretty  constant  fire,  which  was  as  steadily  ans- 
wered by  that  of  the  Fort,  until  about  two  o'clock,  when  the  In- 
dians left  the  place  and  made  a  hasty  retreat. 

Thus  w^as  this  little  place  defended  by  a  Spartan  band  of  six 
men,  against  one  hundred  chosen  warriors,  exasperated  to  madness 
by  their  failure  at  Wheeling  Fort.  Their  names  shall  be  inscribed 
in  the  list  of  heroes  of  our  early  times.  They  were  Jacob  Miller, 
George  Lefler,  Peter  Fullenweider,  Daniel  Rice,  George  Felebaum 
and  Jacob  Lefler,  Jr.  George  Felebaum  w^as  shot  in  the  forehead, 
through  a  port-hole,  at  the  second  fire  of  the  Indians,  and  instantly 
expired,  so  that  in  realily  the  defense  of  the  place  was  made  by  only 
five  men. 

The  loss  of  the  Indians  was  four,  three  of  whom  were  killed  at 
the  first  fire  from  the  Fort,  the  other  was  killed  about  sundown. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  a  number  more  Vv^ere  killed  and 
wounded  in  the  engagement,  but  were  concealed  or  carried  off. 

A  large  division  of  these  Indians,  on  their  retreat,  passed  with- 
in a  little  distance  of  my  father's  Fort.    In  following  their  trail,  a 


ATTACK  ON  RICE'S  FORT. 


229 


few  days  afterwards,  I  found  a  large  poultice  of  chew^ed  sassafras 
leaves.  This  is  the  dressing  which  the  Indians  usually  apply  to  re- 
cent gunshot  wounds.  The  poultice  which  I  found  having  become 
too  old  and  dry,  was  removed  and  replaced  with  a  new  one. 

Examples  of  personal  bravery  and  hair  breath  escapes  are 
always  acceptable  to  readers  of  history.  An  instance  of  both  of 
these  happened  during  the  attack  on  this  Fort,  which  may  be  worth 
recording. 

Abraham  Rice,  one  of  the  principal  men  belong  to  the  Fort  of 
that  name,  on  hearing  the  report  of  the  deserters  from  the  Indians, 
mounted  a  very  strong  active  mare  and  rode  in  all  haste  to  another 
Fort,  about  three  and-a-half  miles  distant  from  his  own,  for  further 
news,  if  any  could  be  had,  concerning  the  presence  of  a  body  of  In- 
dians in  the  neighborhood.  Just  as  he  reached  the  place,  he  heard 
the  report  of  the  guns  at  his  own  Fort.  He  instantly  returned  as 
fast  as  possible,  until  he  arrived  within  sight  of  the  Fort.  Finding 
that  it  still  held  out,  he  determined  to  reach  it  and  assist  in  it  defense, 
or  perish  in  the  attempt.  In  doing  this,  he  had  to  cross  the  Creek, 
the  Fort  being  some  distance  from  it,  on  the  opposite  bank.  He  saw 
no  Indians  until  his  mare  sprang  down  the  bank  of  the  Creek,  at 
which  instant  about  fifteen  of  them  jum.ped  up  from  among  the 
weeds  and  bushes  and  discharged  their  guns  at  him.  One  bullet 
wounded  him  in  the  fleshy  part  of  the  right  arm  above  the  elbow. 
By  this  time  several  more  of  the  Indians  came  up  and  shot  at  him. 
A  second  ball  wounded  him  in  the  thigh  a  little  above  the  knee,  but 
without  breaking  the  bone,  and  the  ball  passed  transversely  through 
the  neck  of  the  mare.  She,  however,  sprang  up  the  bank  of  the 
Creek,  fell  to  her  knees,  and  stumbled  along  about  a  rod  before  she 
recovered.  During  this  time  several  Indians  came  running  up  to 
tomahawk  him.  Yet  he  made  his  escape,  after  having  about  thirty 
shots  fired  at  him  from  a  very  short  distance.  After  riding  about 
four  miles,  he  reached  Lamb's  Fort,  much  exhausted  from  the  loss 
of  blood.  After  getting  his  wounds  dressed  and  resting  awhile,  he 
set  off  late  in  the  evening  with  twelve  men,  determined  if  possible  to 
reach  the  Fort  under  cover  of  the  night.  When  they  got  within 
about  two  hundred  yards  of  it,  they  halted  ;  the  firing  still  continued. 
Ten  of  the  men,  thinking  the  enterprise  too  hazardous,  refused  to 
go  any  further,  and  retreated.  Rice  and  two  other  men  crept  silent- 
ly along  tow^ard  the  Fort ;  but  had  not  proceeded  very  far  before 
they  came  close  upon  an  Indian  in  his  concealment.  He  gave  the 
alarm  yell,  which  was  instantly  passed  round  the  line  with  the  ut- 
most regularity.  This  occasioned  the  Indians  to  make  their  last 
effort  to  take  the  place  and  make  their  retreat  under  cover  of  the 
night.  Rice  and  his  two  companions  returned  in  safety  to  Lamb's 
Fort. 

About  ten  o'clock  next  morning,  sixty  men  collected  at  Rice's 
Fort  for  the  relief  of  the  place.  They  pursued  the  Indians,  who 
kept  in  a  body  for  about  two  miles.    The  Indians  had  then  divided 


230 


ATTACK  ON  RICE'S  FORT. 


into  small  parties  and  took  over  the  hills  in  different  directions, 
so  that  they  could  be  tracked  no  farther.  The  pursuit  was  of  course 
given  up. 

A  small  division  of  the  Indians  had  not  proceeded  far  after  their 
separation,  before  they  discovered  four  men  coming  from  a  neigh- 
boring Fort  in  the  direction  of  that  which  they  had  left.  The  In- 
dians waylaid  the  path,  and  shot  two  of  them  on  the  spot ;  the  others 
fled.  One  of  them  being  swift  on  foot,  soon  made  his  escape  ;  the 
other  being  a  poor  runner,  was  pursued  by  an  Indian,  who  after  a 
smart  chase  came  close  to  him.  The  man  then  wheeled  round  and 
snapped  his  gun  at  the  Indian.  This  he  repeated  several  times. 
The  Indian  then  threw  his  tomahawk  at  his  head,  but  missed  him. 
He  then  caught  hold  of  the  ends  of  his  belt  which  was  tied  behind 
in  a  bow  knot.  In  this  again  the  Indian  was  disappointed,  for  the 
knot  came  loose,  so  that  he  got  the  belt,  but  not  the  man,  who 
wheeled  round  and  tried  his  gun  again,  which  happened  to  go  off 
and  laid  the  Indian  dead  at  his  feet. 


EXPECTED  ATTACK  ON 


CHAPTER  X. 
KXPKCTED  ATTACK  ON   DODDRIDGE'S  FORT. 

When  we  received  advice,  at  my  father's  Fort,  of  the  attack  on 
Rice's  block-house,  which  was  but  a  few  miles  distant,  we  sent  word 
to  all  those  families  who  were  out  on  their  farms,  to  come  immedi- 
ately to  the  Fort.  It  became  nearly  dark  before  the  two  runners 
had  time  to  give  the  alarm  to  the  family  of  a  Mr.  Charles  Stuart, 
who  lived  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile  off  from  the  Fort. 

They  returned  in  great  haste,  saying  that  Stuart's  house  was 
burned  down,  and  that  they  had  seen  two  fires  between  that 
and  the  Fort,  at  which  the  Indians  were  encamped.  There  was 
therefore  no  doubt  that  an  attack  would  be  made  on  our  Fort  early 
in  the  morning. 

In  order  to  give  the  reader  a  correct  idea  of  the  military  tactics 
of  our  early  times,  I -will  give,  in  detail,  the  whole  progress  of  the 
preparation  which  were  made  for  the  expected  attack,  and,  as  nearly 
as  I  can,  I  vv^ill  give  the  commands  of  Capt.  Teter,  our  officer,  in  his 
own  words. 

In  the  first  place  he  collected  all  our  men  together,  and  related 
the  battles  and  skirmishes  he  had  been  in,  and  really  they  were  not 
few  in  number.  He  was  in  Braddock's  defeat,  Grant's  defeat,  the 
taking  of  Fort  Pitt,  and  nearly  all  the  battles  which  took  place  be- 
tween the  English,  and  the  French  and  Indians,  from  Braddock's 
defeat  until  the  capture  of  that  place  by  Gen.  Forbes.  He  reminded 
us,  "that  in  case  the  Indians  should  succeed,  we  need  expect  no 
mercy  ;  that  every  man,  Vv^oman  and  child  would  be  killed  on  the 
spot.  They  have  been  defeated  at  one  Fort,  and  now  they  are  mad 
enough.  If  they  should  succeed  in  taking  ours,  all  their  vengeance 
will  fall  on  our  heads.  We  must  fight  for  ourselves  and  one  another, 
for  our  wives  and  children,  brothers  and  sisters.  We  must  make  the 
best  preparations  we  can  ;  a  little  after  daylight  we  shall  hear  the 
crack  of  their  guns. ' ' 

He  then  made  a  requisition  of  all  the  powder  and  lead  in  the 
Fort.  The  ammunition  was  accurately  divided  amongst  all  the  men, 
and  the  amount  supposed  to  be  fully  sufficient.  When  this  was 
done,  *'  Now,"  says  the  Captain,  when  you  run  you  bullets  cut  off 
the  necks  pretty  close,  and  scrape  them,  so  as  to  make  them  a  little 
less,  and  get  patches,  one  hundred,  finer  than  those  you  commonly 
use,  and  have  them  well  oiled,  for  if  a  rifle  happens  to  be  choked 


232  DODDRIDGE'S  FORT. 

in  the  time  of  battle,  there  is  one  gun  and  one  man  lost  for  the  rest 
of  the  battle.  You  will  have  no  time  to  unbritch  a  gun  and  get  a 
plug  to  drive  out  a  bullet.  Have  the  locks  well  oiled  and  j^our  flints 
sharp,  so  as  not  to  miss  fire." 

Such  were  his  orders  to  his  men.  He  then  said  to  the  women, 
These  yellow  fellows  are  very  handy  setting  fire  to  houses,  and 
water  is  a  very  good  thing  to  put  out  fire.  You  must  fill  every 
vessel  with  water.  Our  Fort,  is  not  well  stockaded,  and  these  ugly 
fellows  may  rush  into  the  middle  of  it,  and  attempt  to  set  fire  to  our 
cabins  in  twenty  places  at  once. ' '  They  fell  to  work  and  did  as  he 
had  ordered. 

The  men  having  put  their  rifles  to  order,  **Now,"  sa3^s  he, 
"let  every  man  gather  in  his  axes,  mattocks  and  hoes,  and  place 
them  inside  of  his  door ;  for  the  Indians  ma}^  make  a  dash  at  them 
with  their  tomahawks  to  cut  them  down,  and  an  axe  in  that  case 
might  hit,  when  a  gun  would  miss  fire." 

Like  a  good  commander,  our  captain,  not  content  with  giving 
orders,  went  from  house  to  house  to  see  that  ever}^  thing  was  right. 

The  ladies  of  the  present  day  will  suppose  that  our  women 
were  frightened  half  to  death  with  the  near  prospect  of  such  an  at- 
tack of  the  Indians.  On  the  contrary,  I  do  not  know  that  I  ever 
saw  a  merrier  set  of  women  in  my  life.  They  went  on  with  their 
work  of  carrying  water  and  cutting  bullet  patches  for  the  men,  ap- 
parently without  the  least  emotion  of  fear  ;  and  I  have  every  reason 
to  believe  that  they  would  have  been  pleased  with  the  crack  of  the 
guns  in  the  morning. 

During  all  this  time  we  had  no  sentinels  placed  around  the  Fort, 
so  confident  was  our  captain  that  an  attack  would  not  be  made  before 
daybreak. 

I  was  at  that  time  thirteen  or  fourteen  years  of  age,  but  ranked 
as  a  Fort  soldier.  After  getting  my  gun  and  all  things  else  in  order, 
I  went  up  into  the  garret  loft  of  my  father's  house,  and  laid  down 
about  the  middle  of  the  floor,  with  my  shot  pouch  on  and  my  gun 
by  my  side,  expecting  to  be  waked  up  by  the  report  of  the  guns  at 
daybreak,  to  take  my  station  at  the  port-hole  assigned  me,  which 
was  in  the  second  story  of  the  house. 

I  not  did  wake  until  about  sunrise,  when  the  alarm  was  all  over. 
The  family  which  we  supposed  had  been  killed,  had  come  into  the 
Fort  about  daybreak.  Instead  of  the  house  being  burnt,  it  was  only 
a  large  old  log  on  fire,  near  the  house,  which  had  been  seen  by  our 
expresses.  If  they  had  seen  anything  like  fire  between  that  and  the 
Fort,  it  must  have  been  fox  fire.  Such  is  the  creative  power  of  im- 
agination, when  under  the  influence  of  fear. 


COSHOCTON  CAMPAIGN. 


CHAPTER  XI. 
COSHOCTON  CAMPAIGN. 

This  campaign  took  place  in  the  summer  of  1780,  and  was  dir- 
ected against  the  Indian  villages  on  the  Forks  of  the  Muskingum.. 

The  place  of  rendezvous  was  Wheeling  ;  the  number  of  regulars 
and  militia  about  eight  hundred.  From  Wheeling  they  made  a 
rapid  mxarch,  b}^  the  nearest  route,  to  their  place  of  destination. 
When  the  army  reached  the  River  a  little  below  Salem,  the  lower 
Moravian  town,  Col.  Broadhead  sent  an  express  to  the  missionary 
of  that  place,  the  Rev.  John  Heckewelder,  informing  him  of  his 
arrival  in  his  neighborhood,  with  his  army,  requesting  a  small  supply 
of  provisions,  and  a  visit  from  him  in  his  camp.  When  the  mission- 
ar>"  arrived  at  the  camp,  the  general  informed  him  of  the  object  of 
the  expedition  he  was  engaged  in,  and  inquired  of  him  whether  any 
of  the  Christian  Indians  were  hunting,  or  engaged  in  business  in  the 
direction  of  his  march.  On  being  answered  in  the  negative,  he 
stated  that  nothing  would  give  him  greater  pain  than  to  hear  that 
any  of  the  Moravian  Indians  had  been  molested  by  the  troops,  as 
these  Indians  had  always,  from,  the  commencement  of  the  war,  con- 
ducted themselves  in  a  manner  that  did  them  honor. 

A  part  of  the  militia  had  resolved  on  going  up  the  River  to  des- 
troy the  Moravian  villages,  but  were  prevented  from  executing  their 
project  by  Gen.  Broadhead  and  Col.  Shepherd,  of  Wheeling. 

At  White-eye  Plains,  a  few  miles  from  Coshocton,  an  Indian 
prisoner  w^as  taken.  Soon  afterwards  two  more  Indians  were  dis- 
covered, one  of  whom  was  wounded,  both  made  their  escape. 

The  commander,  knowing  that  these  two  Indians  would  make  the 
utmost  despatch  in  going  to  the  town,  to  give  notice  of  the  approach 
of  the  army,  ordered  a  rapid  march,  in  the  midst  of  a  heavy  fall  of 
rain,  to  reach  the  town  before  them,  and  take  it  by  surprise.  The 
plan  succeeded.  The  arm 3^  reached  the  place  in  three  divisions. 
The  right  and  left  wings  approached  the  River  a  little  above  and 
below  the  town,  while  the  centre  marched  directly  upon  it.  The 
whole  number  of  Indians  in  the  village,  on  the  east  side  of  the  River, 
together  with  ten  or  twelve  from  a  little  village  some  distance  above, 
were  made  prisoners  without  firing  a  single  shot.  The  River  having 
risen  to  a  great  height,  owing  to  the  recent  fall  of  rain,  the  army 
could  not  cross  it.  Owing  to  this,  the  villages  with  their  inhabi- 
tants on  the  west  side  of  the  River  escaped  destruction. 

30 


234 


COSHOCTON  CAMPAIGN. 


Among  the  prisoners,  sixteen  warriors  were  pointed  out  by 
Pekillon,  a  friendly  Delaware  chief,  who  was  with  the  army  of 
Broadhead. 

A  little  after  dark,  a  council  of  war  was  held  to  determine  on 
the  fate  of  the  warriors  in  custody.  They  were  doomed  to  death, 
and  by  the  order  of  the  commander  were  bound,  taken  a  little  dis- 
tance below  the  town,  and  dispatched  with  tomahawks  and  spears, 
and  scalped. 

Early  the  next  morning,  an  Indian  presented  himself  on  the 
opposite  bank  of  the  River  and  asked  for  the  Big  Captain.  Broad- 
head  presented  himself,  and  asked  the  Indian  what  he  wanted.  To 
which  he  replied,  '*I  want  peace."  "Send  over  some  of  your 
chiefs,"  said  Broadhead.  "  Maybe  you  kill,"  said  the  Indian.  He 
was  answered,  "They  shall  not  be  killed."  One  of  the  chiefs,  a 
well-looking  man,  came  over  the  River  and  engaged  into  conversation 
with  the  commander  in  the  street ;  but  while  engaged  in  conversa- 
tion, a  man  of  the  name  of  Wetzel  came  up  behind  him,  with  a 
tomahawk  concealed  in  the  bosom  of  his  hunting  shirt,  and  struck 
him  on  the  back  of  his  head.    He  fell  and  instantly  expired. 

About  eleven  or  twelve  o'clock,  the  army  commenced  its  re- 
treat from  Coshocton.  Gen.  Broadhead  committed  the  care  of  the 
prisoners  to  the  militia.  They  were  about  twenty  in  number. 
After  marching  about  half  a  mile,  the  men  commenced  killing  them. 
In  a  short  time  they  were  all  dispatched,  except  a  few  women  and 
children,  who  were  spared  and  taken  to  Fort  Pitt,  and  after  some- 
time exchanged  for  an  equal  number  of  their  prisoners. 


CAPTIVITY  OF  MRS.  BROWN. 


235 


CHAPTER  XII. 
CAPTIVITY  OF  MRS.  BROWN. 

On  the  27th  day  of  March,  1789,  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  fore- 
noon, as  Mrs.  Brown  was  spinning  in  her  house,  her  black  woman, 
who  had  stepped  out  to  gather  sugar  water,  screamed  out,  Here 
are  Indians."  She  jumped  up,  ran  to  the  window,  and  then  to  the 
door,  where  she  was  met  by  one  of  the  Indians  presenting  his  gun. 
She  caught  hold  of  the  muzzle,  and  turning  it  aside,  begged  him  not 
to  kill  her,  but  to  take  her  prisoner.  The  other  Indian  in  the  mean 
time  caught  the  negro  woman  and  her  boy,  about  four  years 
old ,  and  brought  them  into  the  house.  They  then  opened  a  chest  and 
took  out  a  small  box  and  some  articles  of  clothing,  and  without 
doing  any  further  damage,  or  setting  fire  to  the  house,  set  off  with 
herself  and  son,  about  two  and-a-half  years  old,  the  black  woman 
and  her  two  children,  the  oldest  four  years  old  and  the  youngest  one 
year  old.  After  going  about  one  and-a-half  miles  they  halted  and 
held  a  consultation,  as  she  supposed,  about  killing  the  chil- 
dren. This  she  understood  to  be  the  subject  of  their  gestures 
and  frequently  pointing  at  the  children.  To  one  of  the  Indians 
who  could  speak  English,  she  held  out  her  little  boy  and  beg- 
ged him  not  to  kill  him,  as  he  would  make  a  fine  little  Indian 
after  awhile.  The  Indian  made  a  motion  to  her  to  walk  on  with 
her  child.  The  other  Indian  then  struck  the  negro  boy  with  the 
pipe  end  of  his  tomahawk,  which  knocked  him  down,  and  then  dis- 
patched him  by  a  blow  with  the  edge  across  the  back  of  the  neck 
and  scalped  him. 

About  four  o'clock  in  the  evening,  they  reached  the  River, 
about  a  mile  above  Wellsburg,  and  carried  a  canoe,  which  had 
been  thrown  up  in  some  driftwood,  into  the  river.  They  got  into 
this  canoe,  and  worked  it  down  to  the  mouth  of  Brush  Run,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  five  miles.  They  pulled  up  the  canoe  into  the 
mouth  of  the  Run,  as  far  as  they  could,  then  then  went  up  the  Run 
about  a  mile,  and  encamped  for  the  night.  The  Indians  gave  the 
prisoners  all  their  own  clothes  for  covering,  and  added  one  of  their 
own  blankets.  Awhile  before  daylight,  the  Indians  got  up  and  put 
another  blanket  over  them. 

About  sunrise  they  began  their  march  up  a  very  steep  hill,  and 
about  two  o'clock  halted  on  Short  Creek,  about  twenty  miles  from 
the  place  whence  they  had  set  out  in  the  morning.    The  place 


236  CAPTIVITY  OF  MRS.  BROWN. 

where  they  had  halted  had  been  an  encampment  shortl}^  before,  as 
well  as  a  place  of  deposit  for  the  plunder  which  they  had  recently 
taken  from  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Vanmeter,  whose  family  had  been 
killed.  The  plunder  was  deposited  in  a  sycamore  tree.  Here  they 
kindled  a  fire  and  put  on  a  brass  kettle,  with  a  turkey  which  they 
had  killed  on  the  way,  to  boil  in  sugar  water. 

Mr.  Glass,  the  first  husband  of  Mrs.  Brown,  was  working  with 
a  hired  man  in  a  field,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  house, 
when  his  wife  and  family  were  taken,  but  knew  nothing  of  the 
event  until  two  o'clock.  After  searching  about  the  place,  and  going 
to  several  houses  in  quest  of  his  family,  he  went  to  Mr.  Well's  Fort, 
collected  ten  men  beside  himself,  and  the  same  night  lodged  in  a  cabin 
on  the  bottom  on  which  the  town  now  stands. 

Next  morning  they  discovered  the  place  from  which  the  In- 
dians had  taken  the  canoe  from  the  drift,  and  their  tracks  at  the 
place  of  their  embarkation.  Mr.  Glass  could  distinguish  the  track 
of  his  wife  by  the  print  of  the  hi8:h  heel  of  her  shoe.  They  crossed 
over  the  River  and  went  down  on  the  other  side  until  they  came 
near  the  mouth  of  Rush  Run  ;  but  discovered  no  tracks  of  the  In- 
dians, most  of  the  men  concluded  that  they  would  go  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Muskingum  River,  by  water,  and  therefore  wished  to  turn 
back.  Mr.  Glass  begged  of  them  to  go  to  the  mouth  of  Short 
Creek,  which  was  only  two  or  three  miles  farther.  To  this  they 
agreed.  When  they  got  to  the  mouth  of  Rush  Run,  they  found  the 
canoe  of  the  Indians.  This  was  identified  by  a  proof,  which  goes 
to  show  the  presence  of  mind  of  Mrs.  Brown.  While  going  down 
the  River,  one  of  the  Indians  threw  into  the  water  several  papers, 
which  he  had  taken  out  of  IVfr.  Glass'  trunk,  some  of  which  she 
picked  out  of  the  water,  and  under  pretence  of  giving  them  to  the 
child,  dropped  them  into  the  bottom  of  the  canoe.  These  left  no 
doubt.  The  trail  of  the  Indians  and  their  prisoners  up  the  Run  to 
their  camp,  and  then  up  to  the  River  hill,  was  soon  discovered. 
The  trail,  at  the  time,  owing  to  the  softness  of  the  ground  and  the 
height  of  the  w^eeds,  was  easily  followed. 

About  an  hour  after  the  Indians  had  halted,  Mr.  Glass  and  his 
men  came  within  sight  of  the  smoke  of  their  camp.  The  object  then 
was  to  save  the  lives  of  the  prisoners,  by  attacking  the  Indians  so 
unexpectedly,  as  not  to  allow  them  time  to  kill  them.  With  this 
view  they  crept  as  slyly  as  they  could,  till  they  got  within  some- 
thing more  than  one  hundred  yards  from  the  camp.  Fortunately, 
Mrs.  Brown's  little  son  had  gone  to  a  sugar  tree  to  get  some  water; 
but  not  being  able  to  get  it  out  of  the  bark  trough,  his  mother  had 
stepped  out  of  the  camp  to  get  it  for  him.  The  negro  woman  was 
sitting  some  distance  from  the  Indians,  who  were  looking  attentive- 
1}^  at  a  scarlet  jacket  which  they  had  taken  some  time  before.  On  a 
sudden  they  dropped  the  jacket,  and  turned  their  eyes  toward  the 
men,  who  supposing  they  were  discovered,  immediately  discharged 
several  guns,  and  rushed  upon  them,  at  full  speed,  with  an  Indian 


CAPTIVITY  OF  MRS.  BROWN. 


237 


yell.  One  of  the  Indians,  it  was  supposed,  was  wounded  the  first 
fire,  as  he  fell  and  dropped  his  gun  and  shot  pouch.  After  running 
about  one  hundred  yards  a  second  shot  was  fired  at  him  by  Major 
McGuire,  which  brought  him  to  his  hands  and  knees ;  but  there 
was  no  time  for  pursuit,  as  the  Indians  had  informed  Mrs.  Brown 
that  there  was  another  encampment  close  by.  They  therefore 
returned  home  with  all  speed,  and  reached  the  Beach  Bottom  Fort 
that  night. 

The  other  Indian  at  the  first  fire,  ran  a  little  distance  beyond 
Mrs.  Brown,  so  that  she  was  in  a  right  line  between  him  and  the 
white  men.  Here  he  halted  for  a  little  to  put  on  his  shot  pouch, 
which  Mr.  Glass,  for  the  moment,  mistook  for  an  attempt  to  kill 
his  wife  with  a  tomahawk. 

This  artful  manoeuver  no  doubt  saved  the  life  of  the  savage,  as 
his  pursuers  dare  not  shoot  at  him  without  risking  the  life  of  Mrs. 
Brown. 


I 


238 


LEWIS  WETZEL. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
LEWIS  WETZEL. 

The  following  narrative  goes  to  show  how  much  may  be  effect- 
ed by  the  skill,  bravery,  and  physical  activity  of  a  single  individual, 
in  the  partizan  warfare  carried  on  against  the  Indians,  on  the  west- 
ern frontier. 

Lewis  Wetzel  was  the  son  of  John  Wetzel,  a  German,  who 
settled  on  Big  Wheeling,  about  fourteen  miles  from  the  River.  He 
was  amongst  the  first  adventurers  in  that  part  of  the  country.  His 
education,  like  that  of  his  cotemporaries,  was  that  of  the  hunter  and 
warrior.  When  a  boy  he  adopted  the  practice  of  loading  and  firing 
his  rifle  as  he  ran.  This  was  a  means  of  making  him  so  destructive 
to  the  Indians  afterwards. 

When  about  thirteen  years  old,  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
Indians,  together  with  his  brother,  Jacob,  about  eleven  years  old. 
Before  he  was  taken  he  received  a  slight  wound  in  the  breast  from 
a  bullet,  which  carried  off  a  small  piece  of  his  breast  bone.  The 
second  night  after  they  were  taken,  the  Indians  encamped  at  the 
Big  Lick,  twenty  miles  from  the  River,  on  the  waters  of  McMahan's 
Creek.  The  boys  were  not  confined.  After  the  Indians  had  fallen 
asleep,  Lewis  whispered  to  his  brother,  Jacob,  that  he  must  get  ud 
and  go  back  home  with  him.  Jacob,  at  first  objected,  but  after- 
wards got  up  and  went  along  with  him.  When  they  had  got  about 
one  hundred  yards  from  the  camp,  they  sat  on  a  log.  "Well," 
said  Lewis,  **  We  can't  go  home  barefooted  ;  I  will  go  back  and  get 
a  pair  of  moccasins  for  each  of  us  ;"  and  accordingly  did  so,  and 
returned.  After  sitting  a  little  longer,  "  Now,"  says  he,  "I  will 
go  back  and  get  father's  gun,  and  then  we'll  start."  This  he  ef- 
fected. They  had  not  traveled  far  on  the  trail  by  which  they  came, 
before  they  heard  the  Indians  coming  after  them.  It  was  a  moon- 
light night.  When  the  Indians  came  pretty  nigh  to  them,  they 
stepped  aside  into  the  bushes,  let  them  pass,  then  fell  into  their 
rear  and  traveled  on.  On  the  return  of  the  Indians  they  did  the 
same.  They  were  then  pursued  by  two  Indians  on  horseback,  whom 
they  dodged  the  same  way.  The  next  day  they  reached  Wheeling 
in  safety,  crossing  from  the  Indian  shore  to  Wheeling  Island,  on  a 
raft  of  their  own  making.  By  this  time  Lewis  had  become  almost 
spent  from  his  wound. 

In  the  year  1782,  after  Crawford's  defeat,  Lewis  went  with  a 


LEWIS  WETZEL. 


239 


Thomas  Mills,  who  had  been  in  the  campaign,  to  get  a  horse,  which 
he  had  left  near  the  place  where  St.  Clairsville  now  stands.  At  the 
Indian  Springs, two  miles  from  St.  Clairsville,  on  the  Wheeling  Road, 
they  were  met  by  about  forty  Indians,  who  were  in  pursuit  of  the 
strugglers  from  the  campaign.  The  Indians  and  white  men  discov^- 
ered  each  other  about  the  same  moment.  Lewis  fired  first  and 
killed  an  Indian,  while  the  Indians  wounded  Mills  in  the  heel,  who 
was  soon  overtaken  and  killed.  Four  of  the  Indians  then  singled 
out,  dropped  their  guns,  and  pursued  Wetzel.  Wetzel  loaded  his 
rifle  as  he  ran.  After  running  about  half  a  mile,  one  of  the  Indians 
having  got  within  eight  or  ten  steps  of  him.,  Wetzel  wheeled  round 
and  shot  him  down,  ran,  and  loaded  his  gun  as  before.  i\fter  going 
about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  farther,  a  second  Indian  who  came 
so  close  to  him,  that  when  he  turned  to  fire  the  Indian  caught  the 
muzzle  of  the  gun,  and  as  he  expressed  it,  "he  and  the  Indian  had 
a  severe  wring. ' '  He  however  succeeded  in  bringing  the  muzzle  to 
the  Indians  breast,  and  killed  him  on  the  spot.  By  this  time,  he  as 
well  as  the  Indians  were  pretty  well  tired  ;  3'^et  the  pursuit  was  con- 
tinued by  the  two  remaining  Indians.  Wetzel,  as  before,  loaded  his 
gun,  and  stopped  several  times  during  the  latter  chase  ;  but  when  he 
did  so,  the  Indians  treed  themselves.  After  going  something  more 
than  a  mile,  Wetzel  took  advantage  of  a  little  open  piece  of  ground 
over  which  the  Indians  were  passing,  a  short  distance  behind  him, 
to  make  a  sudden  stop  for  the  purpose  of  shooting  the  foremost,  who 
got  behind  a  little  sapling,  which  was  too  small  to  cover  his  body. 
Wetzel  shot  and  broke  his  thigh.  The  wound,  in  the  issue,  proved 
fatal.  The  last  of  the  Indians  gave  a  little  yell,  and  said,  ''No 
catch  dat  man,  gun  always  loaded,"  and  gave  up  the  chase,  glad  no 
doubt  to  get  off  with  his  life. 

It  is  said  that  Lewis  Wetzel,  in  the  course  of  the  Indian  wars 
in  this  part  of  the  countr}^,  killed  twenty-seven  Indians  besides  a 
number  more  along  the  frontier  settlements  of  Kentucky. 


240 


ADAM  POE. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

ADAM  POK. 

In  the  summer  of  1782,  a  party  of  seven  Wyandottes  made  an 
incursion  into  the  settlement  some  distance  below  Fort  Pitt,  and 
several  miles  from  the  Ohio  River.  Here,  finding  an  old  man  alone, 
in  a  cabin,  they  killed  him,  packed  up  what  plunder  they  could  find, 
and  commenced  their  retreat.  Among  the  party  was  a  celebrated 
Wyandotte  chief,  who,  in  addition  to  his  fame  as  a  warrior  and 
counsellor,  was,  as  to  his  size  and  strength,  a  real  giant. 

The  news  of  the  visit  of  the  Indians  soon  spread  through  the 
neighborhood,  and  a  party  of  eight  good  riflemen  was  collected  in  a 
few  hours  for  the  purpose  of  pursuing  the  Indians.  In  this  party 
were  two  brothers  of  the  name  of  Adam  and  Andrew  Poe.  They 
were  both  famous  for  courage,  size  and  activity. 

This  little  party  commenced  the  pursuit  of  the  Indians,  with  a 
determination  if  possible,  not  to  suffer  them  to  escape,  as  they  usually 
did  on  such  occasions,  by  making  a  speedj^  flight  to  the  River,  cross- 
ing it,  and  then  dividing  into  small  parties,  to  meet  at  a  distant  point 
in  a  given  time. 

The  pursuit  was  continued  the  greater  part  of  the  night  after 
the  Indians  had  done  the  mischief.  In  the  morning  the  party  found 
themselves  on  the  trail  of  the  Indians,  which  led  to  the  River.  When 
arrived  within  a  short  distance  of  the  River,  Adam  Poe,  fearing  an 
ambuscade,  left  the  party,  who  followed  directly  on  the  trail,  to  creep 
along  the  brink  of  the  River  bank,  under  cover  of  the  weeds  and 
bushes,  to  fall  on  the  rear  of  the  Indians,  should  he  find  them  in 
ambuscade.  He  had  not  gone  far  before  he  saw  the  Indian  rafts  at 
the  water's  edge.  Not  seeing  any  Indians  he  stepped  softly  down 
the  bank  with  his  rifle  cocked.  When  about  half  way  down,  he 
discovered  the  large  Wyandotte  chief  and  a  small  Indian  within  a 
few  steps  of  him.  The}^  were  standing  with  their  guns  cocked,  and 
looking  in  the  direction  of  our  party,  who  by  this  time  had  gone 
some  distance  lower  down  the  bottom.  Poe  took  aim  at  the  large 
chief,  but  his  rifle  missed  fire.  The  Indians  hearing  the  snap  of  the 
gun  lock,  instantly  turned  round  and  discovered  Poe,  who  being  too 
near  them  to  retreat,  dropped  his  gun  and  sprang  from  the  bank 
upon  them,  and  seizing  the  large  Indian  by  the  clothes  on  his  breast, 
and  at  the  same  time  embracing  the  neck  of  the  smaller  one,  threw 
them  both  down  on  the  ground,  himself  being  uppermost.  The 


ADAM  POE. 


241 


small  Indian  soon  extricated  himself,  ran  to  the  raft,  got  his  toma- 
hawk, and  attempted  to  dispatch  Poe,  the  large  Indian  holding  him 
fast  in  his  arm  with  all  his  might,  the  better  to  enable  his  fellow  to 
effect  his  purpose.  Poe,  however,  so  well  watched  the  motions  of 
his  assailant,  that,  when  in  the  act  of  aiming  his  blow  at  his  head, 
by  a  vigorous  and  well  directed  kick  with  one  of  his  feet,  he  stag- 
gered the  savage,  and  knocked  the  tomahawk  out  of  his  hand.  This 
failure  on  the  part  of  the  small  Indian,  was  reproved  by  an  exclama- 
tion of  contempt  from  the  large  one. 

In  a  moment  the  Indian  caught  up  his  tomahawk  again,  ap- 
proached more  cautiously,  brandishing  his  tomahawk,  and  making  a 
number  of  feigned  blows  in  defiance  and  derision.  Poe,  however, 
still  on  his  guard,  averted  the  real  blow  from  his  head,  by  throwing 
up  his  arm,  and  receiving  it  on  his  wrist  in  which  he  was  severely 
wounded  ;  but  not  so  as  to  lose  entirel}^  the  use  of  his  hand. 

In  this  perilous  moment,  Poe,  by  a  violent  effort,  broke  loose 
from  the  Indian,  snatched  up  one  of  the  Indian's  guns,  and  shot 
the  small  Indian  through  the  breast,  as  he  ran  up  the  third  time  to 
tomahawk  him. 

The  large  Indian  was  now  on  his  feet,  and  grasping  Poe  by  a 
shoulder  and  leg,  threw  him  down  on  the  bank.  Poe  instantly  dis- 
engaged himself  and  got  on  his  feet.  The  Indian  then  seized 
him  again,  and  a  new  struggle  ensued,  which,  owing  to  the 
slippery  state  of  the  bank,  ended  in  the  fall  of  both  combatants  into 
the  water. 

In  this  situation,  it  was  the  object  of  each  to  drown  the  other. 
Their  efforts  to  effect  their  purpose  was  continued  for  some  time 
with  alternate  success,  sometimes  one  being  under  the  w^ater  and 
sometimes  the  other.  Poe  at  length  seized  the  tuft  of  hair  on  the 
scalp  of  the  Indian,  with  which  he  held  his  head  under  water,  until 
he  supposed  him  drowned. 

Relaxing  his  hold  too  soon,  Poe  instantly  found  his  gigantic 
antagonist  on  his  feet  again,  and  ready  for  another  combat.  In  this 
they  were  carried  into  the  water  be3'Ond  their  depth.  In  this  situa- 
tion they  were  compelled  to  loose  their  hold  on  each  other  and  swim 
for  mutual  safety.  Both  sought  the  shore,  to  seize  a  gun  and  end 
the  contest  with  bullets.  The  Indian  being  the  best  swimmer, 
reached  the  land  first.  Poe  seeing  this,  immediately  turned  back 
into  the  water,  to  escape,  if  possible,  being  shot,  by  diving.  For- 
tunately the  Indian  caught  up  the  rifie  with  which  Poe  had  killed  the 
other  warrior. 

At  this  juncture,  Andrew  Poe,  missing  his  brother  from  the 
party,  and  supposing  from  the  report  of  the  gun  which  he  shot,  that 
he  was  either  killed  or  engaged  in  conflict  with  the  Indians  hastened 
to  the  spot.  On  seeing  him,  Adam  called  out  to  him  to  "kill 
the  big  Indian  on  shore."  But  Andrew's  gun,  like  that  of  the 
Indian's  was  empty.  The  contest  was  now  between  the  white 
man  and  the  Indian,  who  should  load  and  fire  first.    Very  fortun- 

31 


ADAM  POE. 


ately  for  Poe,  the  Indian,  on  loading,  drew  the  ramrod  from  the 
thimbles  of  the  stock  of  the  gun  with  so  much  violence,  that  it  slip- 
ped out  of  his  hand  and  fell  a  little  distance  from  him.  He  quickly 
caught  it  up,  and  rammed  down  his  bullet.  This  little  delay  gave 
Poe  the  advantage.  He  shot  the  Indian  as  he  v^^as  raising  his  gun 
to  take  aim  at  him. 

As  soon  as  Andrew  had  shot  the  Indian,  he  jumped  into  the 
River  to  assist  his  wounded  brother  to  shore  ;  but  Adam,  thinking 
more  of  the  honor  of  carrying  the  scalp  of  the  big  Indian  home  as  a 
trophy  of  victory  than  of  his  own  safety,  urged  Andrew  to  go  back 
and  prevent  the  struggling  savage  from  rolling  himself  into  the  River 
and  escaping.  Andrew's  solicitude  for  the  life  of  his  brother  pre- 
vented him  from  complying  with  this  request. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  Indian,  jealous  of  the  honor  of  his  scalp 
even  in  the  agonies  of  death,  succeeded  in  reaching  the  River  and 
getting  into  the  current,  so  that  his  body  was  never  obtained. 

An  unfortunate  occurrence  took  place  during  this  conflict. 
Just  as  Andrew  arrived  at  the  top  of  the  bank  for  the  relief  of  his 
brother,  one  of  the  party  who  had  followed  close  behind  him,  seeing 
Adam  in  the  River,  and  mistaking  him  for  a  wounded  Indian,  shot 
at  him  and  wounded  him  in  the  shoulder.  He,  however,  recovered 
from  his  wounds. 

During  the  contest  between  Adam  Poe  and  the  Indians,  the 
party  had  overtaken  the  remaining  six  of  them.  A  desperate  conflict 
ensued,  in  which  five  of  the  Indians  were  killed.  Our  loss  was  three 
men  killed  and  Adam  Poe  severely  wounded. 

Thus  ended  this  Spartan  conflict,  with  the  loss  of  three  valiant 
men  on  our  part,  and  with  that  of  the  whole  Indian  party  ex- 
cepting one  warrior.  Never  on  any  occasion  was  there  a  greater 
display  of  desparate  bravery,  and  seldom  did  a  conflict  take  place, 
which,  in  the  issue,  proved  so  fatal  to  so  great  a  proportion  of  those 
engaged  in  it. 

The  fatal  result  of  this  little  campaign,  on  the  side  of  the  In- 
dians, occasioned  a  universal  mourning  among  the  Wyandotte  na- 
tion. The  big  Indian  and  his  four  brothers,  all  of  whom  were  killed 
at  the  same  place,  were  among  the  most  distinguished  chiefs  and 
warriors  of  their  nation. 

The  big  Indian  was  magnanimous  as  well  as  brave.  He,  more 
than  any  other  individual,  contributed,  by  his  example  and  influence, 
to  the  good  character  of  the  Wyandottes  for  lenity  towards  their 
prisoners.  He  would  not  suffer  them  to  be  killed  or  ill-treated. 
This  mercy  to  captives  w^as  an  honorable  distinction  of  character  of 
the  Wyandottes  and  was  well  understood  by  our  first  settlers,  who, 
in  case  of  captivity,  thought  it  a  fortunate  circumstance  to  fall  into 
their  hands. 

It  is  consoling  to  the  historians  to  find  instances  of  these  endow- 
ments of  mind  which  constitute  human  greatness  even  among  savages. 
The  original  stamina  of  these  endowments  or  what  is  called  genius, 


ADAM  POE. 


243 


are  but  thinly  scattered  over  the  earth,  and  there  can  be  but  little 
doubt  but  that  the  lower  grades  of  society  possess  their  equal  propor- 
tion of  the  bases  of  moral  greatness,  or  in  other  words,  that  there 
is  as  much  of  native  genius  in  proportion  to  numbers,  among  sav- 
ages, as  there  is  among  civilized  people.  The  difference  between 
these  two  extremes  of  society  is  merely  in  the  difference  of  education. 
This  view  of  human  nature,  philosphically  correct,  is  well  calculated 
to  increase  the  benevolence  of  even  the  good  Samaritan  himself,  and 
encourage  his  endeavors  for  the  instruction  of  the  most  ignorant, 
and  the  reformation  of  the  most  barbarous. 

Had  the  aboriginals  of  our  country  been  possessed  of  science  to 
enable  them  to  commit  to  the  faithful  page  of  history  the  events  of 
their  intercourse  with  us  since  the  discovery  and  settlement  of  their 
native  land  by  the  Europeans,  what  would  be  the  contents  of  this 
history  !  Not  such  as  it  is  from  the  hands  of  our  historians,  who 
have  presented  nought  but  the  worst  features  of  the  Indian  charac- 
ter, as  exhibited  in  the  coarse  of  their  wars  against  the  invaders  of 
their  country,  while  the  wrongs  inflicted  on  them  by  civilized  men 
have  occupied  but  a  very  small  portion  of  the  record.  Their  suffer- 
ings, their  private  virtues,  their  bravery  and  magnanimity  in  war, 
together  with  their  individual  instances  of  greatness  of  mind,  hero- 
ism, and  clemency  to  captives  in  the  midst  of  the  cruelties  of  their 
barbarous  warfare,  must  soon  be  buried  with  themselves  in  the  tomb 
of  their  national  existence. 


244 


THE  JOHNSON'S. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  JOHNSON'S. 

The  following  narrative  goes  to  show  that  the  long  continuance 
of  the  Indian  war  had  inspired  even  the  young  lads  of  our  coun- 
try not  only  with  ah  the  bravery,  but  all  the  subtility  of  the  Indians 
themselves. 

In  the  fall  of  the  year  1793,  two  boys  by  the  name  of  John  and 
Henry  Johnson,  the  first  thirteen  and  the  latter  eleven  years  old, 
whose  parents  lived  in  Carpenter's  Station,  a  little  distance  from  the 
mouth  of  Short  Creek,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Ohio  River,  were  sent 
out  in  the  evening  to  hunt  the  cows.  At  tUe  foot  of  a  hill,  at  the 
back  of  the  Bottom,  they  sat  down  under  a  hickory  tree  to  crack 
some  nuts.  They  soon  saw  two  men  coming  towards  them,  one  of 
whom  had  a  bridle  in  his  hand.  Being  dressed  like  white  men,  they 
mistook  them  for  their  father  and  an  uncle  in  search  of  the  horses. 
When  they  discovered  their  mistake  and  attempted  to  run  off,  the  In- 
dians pointed  their  guns  at  them,  told  them  to  stop  or  they  would 
kill  them.    They  halted  and  were  taken  prisoners. 

The  Indians,  being  in  pursuit  of  horses,  conducted  the  boys 
by  a  circuitous  route  over  the  Short  Creek  Hills  in  search  of 
them,  until  late  in  the  evening,  when  they  halted  at  a  spring  in  a 
hollow  place,  about  three  miles  from  the  Fort.  Here  they  kindled 
a  small  fire,  cooked  and  ate  some  vitals,  and  prepared  to  repose  for 
the  night. 

Henry,  the  youngest  of  the  boys,  during  the  ramble  had  af- 
fected the  greatest  satisfaction  at  having  been  taken  a  prisoner. 
He  said  his  father  w^as  a  hard  master,  who  kept  him  always  at 
hard  work,  and  allowed  him  no  play  ;  but  that  for  his  part  he 
wished  to  live  in  the  woods  and  be  a  hunter.  This  deportment  soon 
brought  him  into  intimacy  with  one  of  the  Indians,  who  could 
speak  very  good  English.  The  Indians  frequently  asked  the 
boys  if  they  knew  of  any  good  horses  running  in  the  woods. 
Sometime  before  they  halted,  one  of  the  Indians  gave  the  largest  of 
the  boys  a  little  bag,  which  he  supposed  contained  money,  and  made 
him  carry  it. 

When  night  came  on  the  fire  was  covered  up,  the  boys  pinioned, 
and  made  to  lie  down  together.  The  Indians  then  placed  their  hop- 
pis  straps  over  them,  and  laid  down,  one  on  each  side  of  them,  on 
the  ends  of  the  straps. 


THE  JOHNSON'S. 


245 


Pretty  late  in  the  night  the  Indians  fell  asleep,  and  one  of  them 
becoming  cold,  caught  hold  of  John  in  his  arms,  and  turned  him 
over  on  the  outside.  In  this  situation,  the  boy,  who  had  kept  awake, 
found  means  to  get  his  hand  loose.  He  then  whispered  to  his 
brother,  made  him  get  up  and  untie  his  arms.  This  done,  Henr}^ 
thought  of  nothing  but  running  off  as  fast  as  possible  ;  but  when 
about  to  start,  John  caught  hold  of  him,  saying,  "We  must  kill 
these  Indians  before  we  go."  After  some  hesitation,  Henry  agreed 
to  make  the  attempt.  John  then  took  one  of  the  rifles  of  the  In- 
dians, and  placed  it  on  a  log  with  the  muzzle  close  to  the  head  of 
one  of  them.  He  then  cocked  the  gun,  and  placed  his  little  brother 
at  the  britch,  with  his  finger  on  the  triger,  with  instructions  to  pull 
it  as  soon  as  he  should  strike  the  other  Indian. 

He  then  took  one  of  the  Indian's  tomahawks,  and  standing 
astraddle  of  one  of  the  Indians,  struck  him  with  it.  The  blow, 
however,  fell  on  the  back  of  the  neck  and  to  one  side,  so  as  not  to 
be  fatal.  The  Indian  then  attempted  to  spring  up  ;  but  the  little 
fellow  repeated  his  blows  with  such  force  and  rapidity  on  the 
skull,  that  as  he  expressed  it,  ' '  the  Indian  laid  still  and  began  to 
quiver. ' ' 

At  the  moment  of  the  first  stroke  given  by  the  elder  brother 
with  the  tomahawk,  the  younger  one  pulled  the  trigger,  and  shot 
away  a  considerable  portion  of  the  Indian's  lower  jaw.  This  In- 
dian, a  moment  after  receiving  the  shot,  began  to  flounce  about  and 
yell  in  the  most  frightful  manner.  The  boys  then  made  the  best  of 
their  way  to  the  Fort,  and  reached  it  a  little  before  daybreak.  On 
getting  near  the  Fort  they  found  the  people  all  up  and  in  great  agi- 
tation on  their  account.  On  hearing  a  woman  exclaim,  "  Poor  little 
fellows,  they  are  killed  or  taken  prisoners  ! ' '  the  oldest  one  ans- 
wered.    No  mother,  we  are  here  yet." 

Having  brought  nothing  away  with  them  from  the  Indian 
camp,  their  relation  of  what  had  taken  place  between  them  and  the 
Indians  was  not  fully  credited.  A  small  party  was  soon  made  up  to 
go  and  ascertain  the  truth  or  falsehood  of  their  report.  This  party 
the  boys  conducted  to  the  spot  by  the  shortest  route.  On  arriving 
at  the  place,  they  found  the  Indian  whom  the  oldest  brother  had 
tomahawked,  lying  dead  in  the  camp  ;  the  other  had  crawled  away, 
and  taken  his  gun  and  shot-pouch  with  him.  After  scalping  the 
Indian,  the  party  returned  to  the  Fort,  and  the  same  day  a  larger 
party  went  out  to  look  after  the  wounded  Indian,  who  had  crawled 
some  distance  from  the  camp  and  concealed  himself  in  the  top  of  a 
fallen  tree,  where,  notwithstanding  the  severity  of  his  wound,  with 
a  Spartan  bravery  he  determined  to  sell  his  life  as  dearl}^  as  possible. 
Having  fixed  his  gun  for  the  purpose,  on  the  approach  of  the  men 
to  a  proper  distance,  he  took  aim  at  one  of  them,  and  pulled  the 
trigger,  but  his  gun  missed  fire.  On  hearing  the  snap  of  the  lock, 
one  of  the  men  exclaimed,  "  I  should  not  like  to  be  killed  by  a  dead 
Indian  !  "    The  party  concluded  that  the  Indian  would  die  at  any 


246 


THE  JOHNSON'S. 


rate,  thought  best  to  retreat,  and  return  and  look  for  him  after  some 
time.  On  returning,  however,  he  could  not  be  found,  having  crawled 
away  and  concealed  himself  in  some  other  place.  His  skeleton  and 
gun  were  found  sometime  afterwards. 

The  Indians  who  were  killed  were  great  warriors,  and  very 
wealthy.  The  bag,  which  was  supposed  to  contain  money,  it  was 
conjectured  was  got  by  one  of  the  party,  who  went  out  first  in  the 
morning.  On  hearing  the  report  of  the  boys,  he  slipped  off  by  him- 
self, and  reached  the  place  before  the  party  arrived.  For  some  time 
afterwards  he  appeared  to  have  a  greater  plenty  of  money  than  his 
neighbors. 

The  Indians  themselves  did  honor  to  the  bravery  of  these  two 
boys.  After  their  treaty  with  Gen.  Wayne,  a  friend  of  the  Indians 
who  were  killed  made  enquiry  of  a  man  from  Short  Creek,  what  had 
become  of  the  boys,  who  killed  the  Indians?  He  was  answered 
that  they  lived  at  the  same  place  with  their  parents.  The  Indian 
replied,  "  You  have  not  done  right ;  you  should  have  made  kings  of 
those  boys." 


SETTIvEMENT  OF 


247 


chaptp::r  xvi. 

SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

Having  thus  given  to  the  reader,  in  the  preceding  pages,  a  con- 
nected histor}^  of  the  wars  with  the  Indians,  from  the  earliest  settle- 
ment of  the  country  until  the  treaty  of  peace  made  by  Gen.  Wayne, 
in  1794,  I  will  go  back  to  the  year  1772,  and  trace  the  various  steps 
by  which  our  settlements  advanced  to  their  present  vigorous  state  of 
existence. 

The  settlements  on  this  side  of  the  mountains  commenced  along 
the  Monongahela,  and  between  that  River  and  the  Laurel  Ridge,  in 
the  year  1772.  In  the  succeeding  year  they  reached  the  Ohio  River. 
The  greater  number  of  the  first  settlers  came  from  the  upper  part  of 
the  then  colonies  of  Maryland  and  Virginia.  Braddock's  trail, 
as  it  was  called,  was  the  route  by  which  the  greater  number  of  them 
crossed  the  mountains.  A  less  number  of  them  came  by  the  way  of 
Bedford  and  Fort  Ligonier.  the  military  road  from  Eastern  Pennsyl- 
vania to  Pittsburg.  The}^  effected  their  removal  on  horses  furnished 
with  pack-saddles.  This  was  the  more  easily  done,  as  but  few  of 
these  early  adventurers  into  the  wilderness  were  encumbered  with 
much  baggage. 

Eand  was  the  object  which  invited  the  greater  number  of  these 
people  to  cross  the  mountain  ;  for  as  the  saying  then  was,  **it  was 
to  be  had  here  for  the  taking  up. ' '  That  is,  building  a  cabin  and 
raising  a  crop  of  grain,  however  small,  of  any  kind,  entitled  the 
occupant  to  four  hundred  acres  of  land ,  and  a  pre-emption  right  to 
one  thousand  acres  more  adjoining,  to  be  secured  by  a  land  office 
warrant.  This  right  was  to  take  effect  if  there  happened  to  be  so 
much  vacant  land,  or  any  part  thereof,  adjoining  the  tract  secured 
by  the  settlement  right. 

At  an  early  period  the  government  of  Virginia  appointed  three 
Commissioners  to  give  certificates  of  settlement  rights.  These  cer- 
tificates, together  with  the  Surveyor's  plat,  was  sent  to  the  land 
office  of  the  State,  where  they  laid  six  months,  to  await  any 
caveat  which  might  be  offered.  If  none  was  offered  the  patent  then 
issued. 

There  was,  at  an  early  period  of  our  settlements,  an  inferior 
kind  of  land  title,  dominated  a  "tomahawk  right,"  which  was  made 
by  deadening  a  few  trees  near  the  head  of  a  spring,  and  marking  the 
bark  of  some  one  or  more  of  them  with  the  initials  of  the  name  of 


248 


THE  COUNTRY. 


the  person  who  made  the  improvement.  I  remember  having  seen  a 
number  of  those  ' '  tomahawk  rights ' '  when  a  boy.  For  a  long  time 
many  of  them  bore  the  name  of  those  who  made  them.  I  have  no 
knowledge  of  the  efficacy  of  the  tomahawk  improvement,  or  whether 
it  conferred  any  right  whatever,  unless  followed  by  an  actual  settle- 
ment. These  rights,  however,  were  often  bought  and  sold.  Those 
who  wished  to  make  settlements  on  their  favorite  tracts  of  land, 
bought  up  the  tomahawk  improvements,  rather  than  enter  into  quar- 
rals  with  those  who  made  them.  Other  improvers  of  the  land  with 
a  view  to  actual  settlement,  and  who  happened  to  be  stout 
veteran  fellows,  took  a  very  different  course  from  that  of  purchas- 
ing the  tomahawk  rights.  V/hen  annoyed  by  the  claimants  under 
these  rights,  they  deliberately  cut  a  few  good  hickories,  and  gave 
them  what  was  called  in  those  days  '*  a  laced  jacket  "  that  is  a  sound, 
whipping. 

Some  of  the  early  settlers  took  the  precaution  to  come  over  the 
mountains  in  the  spring  (leaving  their  families  behind) ,  to  raise  a 
crop  of  corn,  and  then  return  and  bring  them  out  in  the  fall.  This 
I  should  think  was  the  better  way.  Others,  especiall}^  those  whose 
families  were  small,  brought  them  wdth  them  in  the  spring.  My 
father  took  the  latter  course.  His  family  were  but  small,  and  he 
brought  them  with  him.  The  Indian  meal  which  he  brought  over 
the  mountain  was  expended  six  weeks  too  soon,  so  for  that  length 
of  time  we  had  to  live  without  bread.  The  lean  vension  and  the 
breast  of  the  wild  turkeys  Vv^e  were  taught  to  call  bread,  and  the  flesh 
of  the  bear  was  dominated  as  meat.  This  artifice  did  not  succeed 
very  well ;  for  after  living  in  this  way  for  some  time  we  became 
sickly,  the  stomach  seeming  to  be  always  empty  and  tormented  with 
a  sense  of  hunger.  I  remember  how  narrowly  the  children  watched 
the  growth  of  the  potatoe  tops,  pumpkin  and  squash  vines,  hoping 
from  day  to  day  to  get  something  to  answer  in  the  place  of  bread. 
How  delicious  was  the  taste  of  the  young  potatoes  when  we  got 
them  !  What  jubilee  when  we  were  permitted  to  pull  the  young 
corn  for  roasting  ears  !  still  more  so  when  it  had  acquired  a  sufficient 
hardness  to  be  madejinto  johnny-cakes  by  the  aid  of  a  tin-grater  ! 
We  then  became  healthy,  vigorous,  and  contented  with  our  situa- 
•  tion,  poor  as  it  was. 

My  father,  with  a  small  number  of  his  neighbors,  made  their 
settlements  in  the  spring  of  1773.  Though  they  were  in  a  poor  and 
destitute  situation,  they  nevertheless  lived  in  peace  ;  but  their  tran- 
quility was  not  of  long  continuance.  Those  most  atrocious  murders 
of  the  peaceable  inoffensive  Indians  of  Captina  and  Yellow  Creek, 
brought  on  the  war  of  Lord  Dunmore  in  the  spring  of  the  year 
1774.  Our  little  settlement  then  broke  up.  The  women  and  chil- 
dren were  removed  to  Morris's  Fort,  in  Sandy  Creek  Glade, *some 
distance  to  the  east  of  Uniontown.  The  Fort  consisted  of  an  assem- 
blage of  small  hovels,  situated  on  the  margin  of  a  large  and  noxious 
marsh,  the  effluvia  of  which  gave  most  of  the  women  and  children 


SETTLEMENT  OF  249 

the  fever  and  ague.  The  men  were  compelled  by  necessity  to  re- 
turn home,  risking  the  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife  of  the  Indians, 
to  raise  corn  to  keep  their  families  from  starv^ation  the  succeeding 
winter.  These  sufferings,  danger  and  losses,  w^ere  the  tribute  we 
had  to  pay  to  that  thirst  for  blood  which  actuated  those  veteran  mur- 
ders who  brought  the  war  upon  us  !  The  memory  of  the  sufferers 
in  this  war,  as  well  as  that  of  their  descendants,  still  looks  back 
upon  them  with  regret  and  abhorence  and  the  page  of  history 
will  consign  their  names  to  posterity  with  the  full  v/eight  of  infamy 
they  deserve. 

A  correct  and  detailed  viev\^  of  the  origin  of  societies,  and  their 
progress  from  one  condition  or  point  of  w^ealth,  science  and  civiliza- 
tion, to  another,  is  always  highly  interesting,  even  when  received 
through  the  dusky  mediums  of  history,  oftentimes  but  poorly  and 
partial!}^  written  ;  but  when  this  retrospect  of  things  past  and 
gone  is  drawn  from  the  recollections  of  experience,  the  impres- 
sions which  it  makes  on  the  heart  are  of  the  most  vivid,  deep  and 
lasting  kind. 

The  following  history  of  the  state  of  society,  manners  and  cus- 
toms of  our  forefathers,  is  to  be  drawn  from  the  latter  source  ;  and 
it  is  given  to  the  world  with  the  recollection  that  man}-  of  my  co- 
temporaries,  still  living,  have,  as  well  as  myself,  witnessed  all  the 
scenes  and  events  herein  described,  and  whose  memories  would  vSpeed- 
ily  detect  and  expose  any  errors  the  work  may  contain. 

The  municipal,  as  well  as  ecclesiastical  institutions  of  society, 
whether  good  or  bad,  in  consequence  of  their  long  continued  use, 
give  a  corresponding  cast  to  the  public  character  of  society  whose 
conduct  they  direct  and  the  more  so  because  in  the  lapse  of  time  the 
observance  of  them  becomes  a  matter  of  conscience. 

This  observ^ation  applies  in  full  force  to  that  influence  of  our 
early  land  laws  which  allowed  four  hundred  acres  and  no  more  to  a  set- 
tlement right.  Many  of  our  early  settlers  seem  to  regard  this 
amount  of  the  surface  of  the  earth  as  the  allotment  of  Divine  Provi- 
dence for  one  famil}^  and  believed  that  an}'-  attempt  to  get  more 
would  be  sinful.  Most  of  them,  therefore,  contented  themselves 
with  that  amount,  although  the}^  might  have  evaded  the  law,  which 
allowed  but  one  settlement  right  to  any  one  individual,  by  taking 
out  the  title  papers  in  the  names  of  others,  to  be  afterwards  trans- 
ferred to  them,  as  if  by  purchase.  Some  few  indeed  pursued  this 
practice,  but  it  was  held  in  detestation. 

My  father,  like  many  others,  believed,  that  having  secured  this 
legal  allotment,  the  rest  of  the  countr}^  belonged  of  right  to  those 
who  choose  to  settle  in  it.  There  w^as  a  piece  of  vacant  land  adjoin- 
ing his  tract,  amounting  to  about  two  laundered  acres.  To  this  tract 
of  land  he  had  the  pre-emption  right,  and  accordingly  secured  it  by 
warrant ;  but  his  conscience  would  not  permit  him  to  retain  it  in 
his  family  ;  he  therefore  gave  it  to  an  apprentice  lad  whom  he  raised 

32 


250 


THE  COUNTRY. 


in  his  house.  This  lad  sold  it  to  an  uncle  of  mine  for  a  cow  and 
calf  and  a  wool  hat. 

Owing  to  the  equal  distribution  of  real  property  directed  by  our 
land  laws,  and  the  sterling  integrity  of  our  forefathers  in  their  ob- 
servance of  them,  we  have  no  districts  of  "sold  land,"  as  it  is 
called,  that  is,  large  tracts  of  land  in  the  hands  of  individuals  and 
companies  who  neither  sell  nor  improve  them,  as  is  the  case  of  Lower 
Canada  and  the  northwestern  part  of  Pennsylvania.  These  unset- 
tled tracts  make  huge  blanks  in  the  population  of  the  countrj^  where- 
ever  they  exist. 

The  division  lines  betw^een  those  w^hose  lands  adjoined,  w^ere 
generally  made  in  an  amicable  manner  by  the  parties  concerned, 
before  any  survey  of  them  w^as  made.  In  doing  this  they  were 
guided  mainly  by  the  tops  of  ridges  and  water  courses,  but  particu- 
larly the  former.  Hence  the  greater  number  of  farms  in  the  west- 
ern parts  of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  bear  a  striking  resemblance  to 
an  amphitheater.  The  buildings  occupy  a  low  situation,  and  the 
tops  of  the  surrounding  hills  are  the  boundaries  of  the  tract  to  which 
the  family  mansion  belongs. 

Our  forefathers  were  fond  of  farms  of  this  description,  because, 
as  they  said,  they  are  attended  with  this  convenience,  "that  every- 
thing comes  to  the  house  down  hill. ' '  In  the  hilly  parts  of  the  state 
of  Ohio,  the  land  having  been  laid  off  in  an  arbitrary  manner,  by 
straight  parallel  lines,  without  regard  to  hill  or  dale,  the  farmers 
present  a  different  aspect  from  those  on  the  east  side  of  the  River  oppo- 
site. There  the  building  frequently  occupy  the  tops  of  the  hills  as 
any  other  situation. 

Our  people  had  become  so  accustomed  to  the  mode  of  '  *  getting 
land  for  taking  it  up, ' '  that  for  a  long  time  it  was  generally  be- 
lieved that  the  land  on  the  west  side  of  the  Ohio  would  ultimately  be 
disposed  of  in  that  way. 

Hence  almost  the  whole  tract  of  country  between  the  Ohio  and 
Muskingum  was  parceled  out  in  tomahawk  improvements ;  but 
these  latter  improvers  did  not  content  themselves  with  a  single  four 
hundred  acre  tract  apiece.  Many  of  them  owned  a  great  number  of 
tracts  of  the  best  land,  and  thus,  in  imagination,  were  as  "wealthy 
as  a  South  Sea  dream."  Many  of  the  land-jobbers  of  this  class  did 
not  content  themselves  with  marking  the  trees,  at  the  usual  height, 
with  the  initials  of  their  names  ;  but  climed  up  the  large  beech  trees, 
and  cut  the  letters  in  their  bark,  from  twenty  to  forty  feet  from  the 
ground.  To  enable  them  to  identify  those  trees,  at  a  future  period, 
they  made  marks  on  other  trees  around  them  as  references. 

Most  of  the  early  settlers  considered  their  land  of  little  value, 
from  an  apprehension  that  after  a  few  years'  cultivation  it  would 
lose  its  fertility,  at  least  for  a  long  time.  I  have  often  heard 
them  say  that  such  a  field  would  bear  so  many  crops,  and  another  so 
many  more  or  less  than  that.  The  ground  of  this  belief  concerning 
the  short-lived  fertility  of  the  land  in  this  country,  was,  the  poverty 


SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 


251 


of  a  great  proportion  of  the  land  in  the  lower  parts  of  Mar34and  and 
Virginia,  which,  after  producing  a  few^  crops,  became  unfit  for  use, 
and  was  thrown  out  into  commons. 

In  their  unfavorable  opinion  of  the  nature  of  the  soil  of  our 
country  our  forefathers  were  utterly  mistaken.  The  native  weeds 
were  scarcely  destroyed  before  the  white  clover  and  different  kinds 
of  grass  made  their  appearance.  These  soon  covered  the  ground, 
so  as  to  afford  pasture  for  the  cattle  by  the  time  the  wood  range  was 
eaten  out,  as  well  as  protect  the  soil  from  being  washed  away  by 
drenching  rains,  so  often  injurious  in  hilly  countries. 

Judging  from  Virgil's*  test  of  fruitful  and  barren  soils,  the 
greater  part  of  this  country  must  possess  every  requisity  for  fertili- 
ty. The  test  is  this.  Dig  a  hole  of  any  reasonable  dimensions  and 
depth  ;  if  the  earth  which  was  taken  out,  when  thrown  lightly  back 
into  it  does  not  fill  up  the  hole,  the  soil  is  fruitful ;  but  if  it  more 
than  fills  it  up,  the  soil  is  barren. 

Whoever  chooses  to  try  this  experiment  will  find  the  result  in- 
dicative of  the  richness  of  our  soil.  Even  our  graves,  notwith- 
standing the  size  of  the  vault,  are  seldom  finished  with  the  earth 
thrown  out  of  them,  and  they  soon  sink  below  the  surrounding 
surface. 


*  Ante  locum  capies  oculis,  alteque  jubebis, 
In  soHdo  puteum,  demitti,  omnemque  repones 
Rursus  hnmum,  et  pedibus  summas  aequabis  arenas. 
Si  deerunt ;  rarum,  pecorique  et  vitibus  almis 
Aptius  uber  erit.    Sin  in  sua  posse  negabunt 
Ire  loca,  et  scrobibus  superabit  terra  repletis, 
Spissus  ager  :  glebas  cunctantes  crassaque  terga 
Expecta,  et  validis  terram  proscinde  juvencis. 


Vir.  Geo.  lib.  3, 1.  230. 


252 


HOUSE  FURNITUPvE  AND  DIET. 


CKAPTER  XVII. 
HOUSE  FURNITURE  AND  DIET. 

The  settlement  of  a  new  country  in  the  immediate  neighborhood 
of  an  old  one,  is  not  attended  with  much  difficulty,  because  supplies 
can  be  obtained  from  the  latter  ;  but  the  settlement  of  a  country 
very  remote  from  any  cultivated  region,  is  a  very  different  thing  ;  be- 
cause at  the  outset,  food,  raiment,  and  the  implements  of  husban- 
dry, are  obtained  only  in  small  supplies  and  with  great  difficulty. 
The  task  of  making  new  establishments  in  a  remote  wilderness,  in 
time  of  profound  peace,  is  sufficiently  difficult ;  but  when,  in  addi- 
tion to  all  the  unavoidable  hardships  attendant  on  this  business, 
those  resting  from  an  extensive  and  furious  warfare  with  savages 
are  superadded  ,  toil,  privations  and  sufferings,  are  then  carried  to 
the  full  extent  of  the  capacity  of  men  to  endure  them. 

Such  was  the  wretched  condition  of  our  forefathers  in  making 
their  settlements  here.  To  all  their  difficulties  and  privations,  the 
Indian  war  was  a  weighty  addition.  The  destructive  warfare  they 
were  compelled  to  sustain  almost  single-handed,  because  the  revolu- 
tionary contest  with  England  gave  full  employment  for  the  military 
strength  and  resources  on  the  east  side  of  the  mountains. 

The  following  history  of  the  poverty,  labors,  sufferings,  man- 
ners and  customs,  of  our  forefathers,  will  appear  like  a  collection  of 
tales  of  olden  times,"  without  any  garnish  of  language  to  spoil  the 
original  portraits,  by  giving  them  shades  of  coloring  which  they  did 
not  possess. 

I  shall  follow  the  order  of  things  as  they  occurred  during  the 
period  of  time  embraced  in  these  narratives,  beginning  with  those 
rude  accommodations  with  which  our  first  adventurers  into  this  coun- 
try furnished  themselves  at  the  commencement  of  their  establish- 
ments. It  will  be  a  homely  narrative,  yet  valuable  on  the  ground 
of  its  being  real  history. 

If  my  reader,  when  viewing,  through  the  medium  which  I  here 
present,  the  sufferings  of  human  nature  in  one  of  its  most  depressed 
and  dangerous  conditions,  should  drop  an  involuntary  tear,  let  him 
not  blame  me  for  the  sentiment  of  sympathy  which  he  feels.  On 
the  contrary,  if  he  should  sometimes  meet  with  a  recital  calculated 
to  excite  a  smile  or  a  laugh,  I  claim  no  credit  for  his  enjoy- 
ment.   It  is  the  subject  matter  of  the  history,  and  not  the  his- 


HOUSE  FURNITURE  AND  DIET. 


253 


torian,  which  makes  those  widely  different  impressions  on  the  mind 
of  the  reader. 

In  this  chapter  it  is  my  design  to  give  a  brief  account  of  the 
household  furniture  and  articles  of  diet  which  were  used  by  the 
first  inhabitants  of  our  country.  A  description  of  their  cabins  and 
half-faced  camps,  and  their  manner  of  building  them,  will  be  found 
elsewhere. 

The  furniture  for  the  table,  for  several  years  after  the  settle- 
ment of  this  country,  consisted  of  a  few"  pewter  dishes,  plates  and 
spoons,  but  mostly  of  wooden  bowls,  trenchers  and  noggins.  If 
these  last  were  scarce,  gourds  and  hard-shelled  squashes  made  up  the 
deficiency. 

The  iron  pot,  knives  and  forks,  were  brought  from  the  east  side 
of  the  mountains,  along  with  the  salt  and  iron,  on  pack-horses. 

These  articles  of  furniture  correspond  very  w^ell  with  the  arti- 
cles of  diet  on  which  they  were  employed.  **  Hog  and  homminy  " 
were  proverbial  for  the  dishes  of  which  they  were  competent  parts. 
Journey -cake  and  pone  were,  at  the  outset  of  the  settlements  of  the 
country,  the  only  forms  of  bread  in  use  for  breakfast  and  din- 
ner. At  supper,  milk  and  mush  were  the  standard  dish.  When 
milk  was  not  plenty,  which  was  often  the  case,  owing  to  the  scarci- 
ty of  cattle  or  the  w^ant  of  proper  pasture  for  them,  the  substantial 
dish  of  homminy  had  to  supply  the  place  of  them.  Mush  was  fre- 
quently eaten  with  sweetened  water,  molasses,  bear's  oil,  or  the 
gravey  of  fried  meat. 

Every  family,  besides  a  little  garden  for  the  few  vegetables 
which  they  cultivated,  had  another  small  enclosure  containing  from 
half  an  acre  to  an  acre,  which  they  called  a  "truck-patch,"  in 
which  they  raised  corn  for  roasting-ears,  pumpkins,  squashes,  beans 
and  potatoes.  These,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  and  fall, 
were  cooked  with  their  pork,  venison  and  bear  meat,  for  dinner, 
and  made  very  wholesome  and  well- tasted  dishes.  The  stand- 
ard dinner  dish  for  every  time  log- roiling,  or  house-raising  and 
harvest-day  came,  was  a  pot-pie,  or  what  in  other  countries  is 
called  sea-pie."  This,  besides  answering  for  dinner,  served 
for  a  part  of  the  supper  also,  the  remainder  of  it  from  dinner  being 
eaten  with  milk  in  the  evening,  after  the  conclusion  of  the  labor  of 
the  day. 

In  our  whole  display  of  furniture,  the  delf,  china,  and  silver 
were  unknown.  It  did  not  then,  as  now,  require  contributions 
from  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe  to  furnish  the  breakfast  table, 
viz  :  the  silver  from  Mexico,  the  coffee  from  the  West  Indies,  the 
tea  from  China,  and  the  delf  and  porcelain  from  Europe  or  Asia. 
Yet  our  homely  fare,  and  unsightly  cabins  and  furniture,  produced 
a  hardy,  veteran  race,  who  planted  the  first  footsteps  of  societj'-  and 
civilization  in  the  immense  regions  of  the  w^est.  Indeed  to  hardi- 
hood, bravery  and  labor,  from  their  early  youth,  they  sustained 
with  manly  fortitude  the  fatigue  of  the  chase,  the  campaign  and 


254  HOUSE  FURNITURE  AND  DIET. 


scout,  and  with  strong  arms  "turned  the  wildness  into  fruitful 
fields,"  and  have  left  to  their  descendants  the  rich  inheritance  of  an 
immense  empire  blessed  with  peace  and  wealth. 

I  well  recollect  the  first  time  I  ever  saw  a  tea-cup  and  cancer, 
and  tasted  coffee.  My  mother  died  when  I  was  about  six  or  seven 
years  old,  and  my  father  sent  me  to  Maryland  with  a  brother  of  my 
grandfather,  Mr.  Alexander  Wells,  to  school. 

At  Col.  Brown's,  in  the  mountains,  (at  Stony  Creek  Glades),  I 
for  the  first  time  saw  tame  geese  ;  and  by  bantering  a  pet  gander,  I 
got  a  severe  biting  by  his  bill,  and  beaten  by  his  wings.  I  won- 
dered very  much  that  birds  so  large  and  strong  should  be  so  much 
tamer  than  the  wild  turkeys.  At  this  place,  however,  all  was  right, 
excepting  the  large  birds  which  they  called  geese.  The  cabin  and 
its  furniture  were  such  as  I  had  been  accustomed  to  see  in  the  back- 
woods, as  my  country  was  then  called. 

At  Bedford  everything  was  changed.  The  tavern  at  which  my 
uncle  put  up  was  a  stone  house,  and  to  make  the  change  more  com- 
plete, it  was  plastered  in  the  inside,  both  to  the  walls  and  ceiling. 
On  going  into  the  dining  room  I  was  struck  with  astonishment  at 
the  appearance  of  the  house.  I  had  no  idea  that  there  was  any 
house  in  the  world  which  was  not  built  of  logs  ;  but  here  I  looked 
round  the  house  and  could  see  no  logs,  and  above  I  could  see  no 
joists  ;  whether  such  things  could  be  made  by  the  hands  of  man,  or 
had  grown  so  of  itself,  I  could  not  conjecture.  I  had  not  the  cour- 
age to  inquire  anything  about  it. 

When  supper  came  on,  "  my  confusion  was  worse  confounded." 
A  little  cup  stood  in  a  bigger  one,  with  some  brownish-looking  stuff 
in  it,  which  was  neither  milk  homminy  nor  broth.  What  to  do 
with  these  little  cups  and  the  little  spoons  belonging  to  them,  I 
could  not  tell ;  and  I  was  afraid  to  ask  anything  concerning  the  use 
of  them. 

It  was  in  the  time  of  the  war,  and  the  company  were  giving:  ac- 
counts of  catching,  whipping,  and  hanging  the  tories.  The  word 
jail  frequently  occurred.  This  word  I  had  never  heard  before  ;  but 
I  soon  discovered  its  meaning,  was  much  terrified,  and  supposed 
that  we  were  in  danger  of  the  fate  of  the  tories  ;  for  I  thought  as  we 
had  come  from  the  back  woods,  it  was  altogether  likely  that  we 
must  be  tories  too.  For  fear  of  being  discovered  I  dare  not  utter  a 
single  word.  I  therefore  watched  attentively  to  see  what  the  big 
folks  would  do  with  the  little  cups  and  spoons.  I  imitated  them, 
and  found^the  taste  of  the  coffee  nauseous  beyond  anything  I  ever 
had  tasted  in  my  life  ;  I  continued  to  drink,  as  the  rest  of  the  com- 
pany did,  with  the  tears  streaming  from  my  eyes,  but  when  it  was 
to  end  I  was  at  a  loss  to  know,  as  the  little  cups  were  filled  immedi- 
ately after  being  emptied.  This  circumstance  distressed  me  very 
much,  as  I  dare  not  say  I  had  enough.  Looking  attentively  at  the 
grown  persons,  I  saw  one  man  turn  his  cup  bottom  upwards  and  put 
his  little  spoon  across  it ;  I  observed  that  his  cup  was  not  filled 


HOUSE  FURNITURE  AND  DIET. 


255 


again  ;  I  followed  his  example,  and  to  my  great  satisfaction,  the 
result  as  to  my  cup  was  the  same, 

The  introduction  of  delf  ware  was  considered  by  many  of  the 
backwoods  people  as  a  culpable  innovation.  It  was  too  easily 
broken,  and  the  plates  of  that  ware  dulled  their  scalping  and  clasp 
knives ;  tea  ware  was  too  small  for  men,  but  might  do  for  women 
and  children.  Tea  and  coffee  were  only  slops,  which  in  the  adage 
of  the  day,  "  did  not  stick  by  the  ribs."  The  idea  -was,  thej^  were 
designated  only  for  persons  of  quality,  who  did  not  labor,  or  the 
sick.  A  genuine  backwoodsman  would  have  thought  himself  dis- 
graced by  showing  a  fondness  for  these  slops.  Indeed,  many  of 
them  have  to  to  this  day  very  little  respect  for  them. 


256 


DRESS. 


CHAPTER  XVIIT. 
DRESS. 

On  the  frontiers,  and  particularly  among  those  who  are  mticli 
in  the  habit  of  hunting,  and  going  on  scouts  and  campaigns, 
the  dress  of  the  men  was  partly  Indian  and  partly  that  of  civilized 
nations. 

The  hunting  shirt  was  universal!}^  worn.  This  was  a  kind  of 
loose  frock,  reaching  half  way  down  the  thighs,  with  large  sleeves, 
open  before,  and  so  wide  as  to  lap  over  a  foot  or  more  when  belted. 
The  cape  was  large,  and  sometimes  handsomely  fringed  with  a  ravel- 
led piece  of  cloth  of  a  different  color  from  that  of  the  hunting  shirt  it- 
self. The  bosom  of  this  dress  served  as  a  wallet  to  hold  a  chunk  of 
bread,  cakes,  jerk,  tow  for  wiping  the  barrel  of  the  rifle,  or  any  other 
necessary  for  the  hunter  or  warrior.  The  belt,  which  was  always 
tied  behind,  answered  for  several  purposes  besides  that  of  holding 
the  dress  together.  In  cold  weather,  the  mittens,  and  sometimes 
the  bullet-bag,  occupied  the  front  part  of  it ;  to  the  right  side  was 
suspended  the  tomahawk,  and  to  the  left  the  scalping  knife  in  its 
leather  sheath.  The  hunting  shirt  was  generally  made  of  linsey, 
sometimes  of  coarse  linen,  and  a  few  of  dressed  deer  skins.  These 
last  were  very  cold  and  uncomfortable  in  wet  weather.  The  shirt 
and  jacket  were  of  the  common  fashion.  A  pair  of  drawers  or 
breeches,  and  leggings,  were  the  dress  of  the  thighs  and  legs.  A 
pair  of  moccasons  answered  for  the  feet  much  better  than  shoes. 
These  were  made  of  dressed  deer  skin.  They  were  mostly  made  of 
a  single  piece,  with  a  gathering  seam  along  the  top  of  the  foot,  and 
another  from  the  bottom  of  the  heel,  with  gaiters  as  high  as  the 
ankle  joint  or  a  little  higher.  Flaps  were  left  on  each  side  to  reach 
some  distance  up  the  legs.  These  were  nicely  adapted  to  the  ankles 
and  lower  part  of  the  legs  by  thongs  of  deer  skin,  so  that  no  dust, 
gravel  or  snow,  could  get  within  the  moccasons. 

The  moccasons  in  ordinary  use  cost  but  a  few  hours  labor  to 
make  them.  This  was  done  by  an  instrument  denominated  a  moc- 
cason  awl,  which  was  made  of  the  back  spring  of  an  old  clasp  knife. 
The  av/1,  with  its  buckhorn  handle,  was  an  appendage  of  every  shot 
pouch  strap,  together  with  a  roll  of  buckskin  for  mending  the  moc- 
casons. This  was  the  labor  of  almost  every  evening.  They  were 
sewed  together  and  patched  with  deer  skin  thongs,  or  wangs  as  they 
were  commonly  called. 


DRESS. 


257 


In  cold  weather  the  moccasons  were  well  stuffed  with  deer's 
hair  or  dried  leaves,  so  as  to  keep  the  feet  comfortablj^  warm  ;  but  in 
wet  weather  it  was  usually  said  that  wearing  them  was  ' '  a  decent 
way  of  going  barefooted;"  and  such  was  the  fact,  owing  to  the 
spongy  texture  of  the  leather  of  which  they  were  made. 

Owing  to  this  defective  covering  of  the  feet,  more  than  to  any 
other  circumstance,  the  greater  number  of  our  hunters  and  warriors 
were  afflicted  with  rheumatism  in  their  limbs.  Of  this  disease  they 
were  all  apprehensive  in  wet  or  cold  weather,  and  therefore  always 
slept  with  their  feet  to  the  fire  to  prevent  or  cure  it  as  well  as 
they  could.  This  practice  unquestionably  had  a  very  salutory  effect, 
and  prevented  man}^  of  them  from  becoming  confirmed  cripples  in 
early  life. 

In  the  latter  years  of  the  Indian  war  our  yonng  men  became 
more  enamored  of  the  Indian  dress  throughout,  with  the  exception 
of  the  match  coat.  The  drawers  were  laid  aside  and  the  leggins  made 
longer,  so  as  to  reach  the  upper  part  of  the  thigh.  The  Indian 
breech  clout  was  adopted.  This  was  a  piece  of  linen  or  cloth  nearly 
a  yard  long,  and  eight  or  nine  inches  broad.  This  passed  under  the 
belt  before  and  behind,  leaving  the  ends  for  flaps,  hanging  before 
and  behind  over  the  belt.  These  belts  were  sometimes  ornamented 
with  some  coarse  kind  of  embroider}^  work.  The  same  belts  which 
secured  the  breech  clout,  strings  which  supported  the  long  leggings 
were  attached.  When  this  belt,  as  was  often  the  case,  passed  over 
the  hunting  shirt,  the  upper  part  of  the  thighs  and  part  of  the  hips 
were  naked. 

The  young  warrior,  instead  of  being  abashed  by  this  nudity, 
was  proud  of  his  Indian-like  dress.  In  some  few  instances  I 
have  seen  them  go  into  places  of  public  worship  in  this  dress. 
Their  appearance,  however,  did  not  add  much  to  the  devotion  of 
the  young  ladies. 

The  linsey  petticoat  and  bed  gown,  which  were  the  universal 
dress  of  our  women  in  early  times,  would  make  a  strange  figure  in 
our  days.  A  small  home-made  handkerchief,  in  point  of  elegance, 
would  illy  supply  the  place  of  that  profusion  of  ruffles  with  which  the 
necks  of  our  ladies  are  now  ornamented. 

They  went  bare  footed  in  warm  weather,  and  in  the  cold  their 
feet  were  covered  with  moccasons,  coarse  shoes,  or  shoe-packs, which 
would  make  but  a  sorry  figure  besides  the  elegant  morocco  slippers 
often  embossed  with  bullion,  which  at  present  ornament  the  feet  of 
their  daughters  and  granddaughters. 

The  coats  and  bed  gowns  of  the  women,  as  well  as  the  hunting 
shirts  of  the  men,  were  hung  in  full  displa}^  on  wooden  pegs  around 
the  walls  of  their  cabins,  so  that  while  they  answered  in  some  degree 
the  place  of  paper-hangings  or  tapestry,  they  announced  to  the 
stranger  as  well  as  neighbor  the  wealth  or  poverty  of  the  family  in 
the  articles  of  clothing.  This  practice  has  not  yet  been  wholly  laid 
aside  among  the  backwoods  families. 

33 


258 


DRESS. 


The  historian  would  say  to  the  ladies  of  the  present  time.  Our 
ancestors  of  your  sex  knew  nothing  of  the  ruf&es,  leghorns,  curls, 
combs,  rings,  and  other  jewels  with  which  their  fair  daughters  now 
decorated  themselves.  Such  things  were  not  then  to  be  had.  Many 
of  the  younger  part  of  them  were  pretty  well  grown  up  before  they 
ever  saw  the  inside  of  a  store  room,  or  even  knew  there  was  such  a 
thing  in  the  world,  unless  by  hearsa}^,  and  indeed  scarcely  that. 

Instead  of  the  toilet,  they  had  to  handle  the  distaff  or  shuttle, 
the  sickle  or  weeding  hoe,  contented  if  they  could  obtain  their  linsey 
clothing  and  cover  their  heads  with  a  sun  bonnet  made  of  a  six  or 
seven  hundred  linen. 


thb  fort. 


259 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  FORT. 

My  reader  will  understand  by  this  term,  not  only  a  place  of  de> 
fense,  but  the  residence  of  a  small  number  of  families  belonging  to 
the  same  neighborhood.  As  the  Indian  mode  of  warfare  was  an 
indiscriminate  slaughter  of  all  ages  and  both  sexes,  it  was  as  requis- 
ite to  provide  for  the  safety  of  the  women  and  children  as  for  that 
of  the  men. 

The  Forts  consisted  of  cabins,  block-houses  and  stockades.  A 
range  of  cabins  commonly  formed  one  side  at  least  of  the  Fort. 
Divisions,  or  partitions  of  logs,  separated  the  cabins  from  each  other. 
The  walls  on  the  outside  were  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  the  slope  of 
the  roof  being  turned  wholly  inward.  A  very  few  of  these  cabins  had 
puncheon  floors  ;  the  greater  part  were  earthen. 

The  block-houses  were  built  at  the  angles  of  the  Fort.  They 
projected  about  two  feet  beyond  the  outer  walls  of  the  cabins  and 
way  stockades.  Their  upper  stories  were  about  eighteen  inches  every 
larger  in  dimensions  than  the  under  one,  leaving  an  opening  at  the 
commencement  of  the  second  story,  to  prevent  the  enem}^  from  mak- 
ing a  lodgment  under  their  walls.  In  some  Forts,  instead  of  block- 
houses, the  angles  of  the  Forts  were  furnished  with  bastions.  A 
large  folding  gate  made  of  thick  slabs,  nearest  the  spring,  closed  the 
Fort.  The  stockades,  bastions,  cabins  and  block-house  w^alls,  were 
furnished  with  port-holes  at  proper  heights  and  distances.  The 
whole  of  the  outside  was  made  completely  bullet-proof. 

It  may  be  truly  said  that  necessity  is  the  mother  of  inven- 
tion, for  the  whole  of  this  work  was  made  without  the  aid  of  a 
single  nail  or  spike  of  iron,  and  for  this  reason,  such  things  were  not 
to  be  had. 

In  some  places,  less  exposed,  a  single  block-house  with  a  cabin 
or  two  constituted  the  whole  Fort. 

Such  places  of  refuge  may  appear  very  trifling  to  those  who 
have  been  in  the  habit  of  seeing  the  formidable  military  garrisons  of 
Europe  and  America ;  but  they  answered  the  purpose,  as  the  In- 
dians had  no  artillery.  They  seldom  attacked,  and  scarcely  ever  took 
one  of  them.  ' 

The  families  belonging  to  these  Forts  were  so  attached  to  their 
own  cabins  on  their  farms,  that  they  seldom  moved  into 
the  Fort  in  the  spring  until  compelled  by  some  alarm,  as  they  called 


26o 


THE  FORT. 


it ;  that  is,  when  it  was  announced  by  some  murder  that  the  Indians 
were  in  the  settlement. 

The  Fort  to  which  my  father  belonged,  was,  during  the  first 
year  of  the  war,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  his  farm  ;  but  when 
this  Fort  went  to  decay,  and  became  unfit  for  defense,  a  new  one 
was  built  at  his  own  house.  I  well  remember  that  when  a  little  hoy 
the  family  where  sometimes  waked  up  in  the  dead  of  night  by  an 
express  with  a  report  that  the  Indians  were  at  hand.  The  express 
came  softly  to  the  door  or  back  window,  and  by  a  gentle  tapping 
waked  the  family  ;  this  was  easil}^  done,  as  an  habitual  fear  made  us 
ever  watchful  and  sensible  to  the  slightest  alarm.  The  whole  family 
were  instantly  in  motion  ;  my  father  seized  his  gun  and  other  imple- 
ments of  war  ;  my  step-mother  waked  up  and  dressed  the  children 
as  well  as  she  could  ;  and  being  myself  the  oldest  of  the  children,  I 
had  to  take  my  share  of  the  burdens  to  be  carried  to  the  Fort. 
There  was  no  possibility  of  getting  a  horse  in  the  night  to  aid  us 
in  removing  to  the  Fort  ;  besides  the  little  children,  we  caught  up 
what  articles  of  clothing  and  provisions  we  could  get  hold  of  in  the 
dark,  for  we  dare  not  light  a  candle  or  even  stir  the  fire.  All  this 
was  done  with  the  utmost  dispatch  and  the  silence  of  death  ;  the 
greatest  care  was  taken  not  to  awaken  the  youngest  child ;  to  the 
rest  it  was  enough  to  say  Indian,  and  not  a  whimper  was  heard  after- 
wards. Thus  it  often  happened  that  the  whole  number  of  families 
belonging  to  a  Fort,  who  were  in  the  evening  at  their  homes,  were 
all  in  their  little  fortress  before  the  dawn  of  the  next  morning.  In 
the  course  of  the  succeeding  day,  their  household  furniture  was 
brought  in  by  parties  of  the  men  under  arms. 

Some  families  belonging  to  each  Fort,  were  much  less  under  the 
influence  of  fear  than  others,  and  who  after  an  alarm  had  subsided, 
in  spite  of  every  remonstrance  would  move  home,  while  their  more 
prudent  neighbors  remained  in  the  Fort.  Such  families  were  denom- 
inated fool-hardy,"  and  gave  no  small  amount  of  trouble  by  creat- 
ing such  frequent  necessities  of  sending  runners  to  warn  them  of 
their  danger,  and  sometimes  parties  of  our  men  to  protect  them  dur- 
ing their  removal. 


CARAVANS. 


261 


CHAPTER  XX. 

CARAVANS, 

The  acquisition  of  the  indispensible  articles  of  salt,  steel  and 
castings,  presented  great  difficulties  to  the  first  settles  of  the  western 
country.  They  had  no  stores  of  any  kind,  no  salt,  iron,  nor  iron 
works  ;  nor  had  the}^  money  to  make  purchases  were  those  articles 
were  to  be  obtained.  Peltr>^  and  furs  were  their  only  resources, 
before  they  had  time  to  raise  cattle  and  horses  for  sale  in  the  At- 
lantic States. 

Every  family  collected  what  peltrj^  and  fur  they  could  obtain 
throughout  the  3^ear  for  the  purpose  of  sending  them  over  the  moun- 
tains  for  barter. 

In  the  fall  of  the  year,  after  seeding-time,  every^  family  formed 
an  association  with  some  of  their  neighbors  for  starting  the  little 
caravan.  A  master  driver  was  selected  from  among  them,  who  was 
to  be  assisted  b}^  one  or  more  3-oung  men,  and  sometimes  a  boy  or 
two.  The  horses  were  fitted  out  with  pack-saddles,  to  the  hinder 
part  of  which  was  fastened  a  pair  of  hobbles  made  of  hickory  withs  ; 
a  bell  and  collar  ornamented  his  neck.  The  bags  provided  for  the 
conveyance  of  the  salt  were  filled  with  feed  for  the  horses  ;  on  the 
journey  a  part  of  this  feed  was  left  at  convenient  stages  on  the  way 
down,  to  support  the  return  of  the  caravan.  Large  wallets,  well- 
filled  with  bread,  jerk,  boiled  ham  and  cheese,  furnished  provision 
for  the  drivers.  At  night,  after  feeding,  the  horses,  whether  put  in 
pasture  or  turned  out  in  the  woods,  were  hobbled,  and  the  bells 
were  opened.  The  barter  for  salt  and  iron  were  made  first  at  Balti- 
more. Frederick,  Hagerstown,  Old  town  and  Cumberland  in  suc- 
cession, became  the  place  of  exchange.  Each  horse  carried  two 
bushels  of  alumn  salt,  weighing  eighty-four  pounds  to  the  bushel. 
This,  to  be  sure,  was  not  a  hea\'3^  load  for  the  horses,  but  it  was 
enough  considering  the  scanty  substance  allowed  them  on  their 
journey. 

The  common  price  of  a  bushel  of  alumn  salt  at  an  early  period 
was  a  good  cow  and  calf ;  and  until  weight  were  introduced,  the 
salt  was  measured  into  the  half  bushel  by  hand  as  lightl}^  as  possi- 
ble. No  one  was  permitted  to  walk  heavily  over  the  fioor  while  the 
operation  was  going  on. 

The  following  anecdote  will  serve  to  show  how  little  the  native 
sons  of  the  forest  knew  of  the  etiquette  of  the  Atlantic  cities. 


262 


CARAVANS. 


A  neighbor  of  my  father,  some  years  after  the  settlement  of  the 
country,  had  collected  a  small  drove  of  cattle  for  the  Baltimore  mar- 
ket. Among  the  hands  employed  to  drive  them  was  one  who  had 
never  seen  any  condition  of  society  but  that  of  woodsmen. 

At  one  of  their  lodging  places  in  the  mountain,  the  landlord 
and  his  hired  man,  in  the  course  of  the  night,  stole  two  of  the  bells 
belonging  to  the  drove,  and  hid  them  in  a  piece  of  woods. 

The  drove  had  not  gone  far  in  the  morning  before  the  bells  were 
missed,  and  a  detachment  went  back  to  recover  the  stolen  bells. 
The  men  were  found  reaping  in  the  field  of  the  landlord  ;  they  were 
accused  of  the  theft,  but  denied  the  charge.  The  torture  of  sweat- 
ing, according  to  the  custom  of  that  time,  that  is,  of  suspension  by 
the  arms  pinioned  behind  their  back,  brought  a  confession.  The 
bells  were  procured  and  hung  around  the  necks  of  the  thieves  ;  in 
this  condition  they  were  driven  on  foot  before  the  detachment  until 
they  overtook  the  drove,  which  by  this  time  had  gone  nine  miles. 
A  halt  was  called  and  a  jury  selected  to  try  the  culprits.  They  were 
condemned  to  receive  a  certain  number  of  lashes  on  the  bare  back 
from  the  hand  of  each  drover.  The  man  above  alluded  to  was  the 
owner  of  one  of  the  bells.  When  it  came  to  his  turn  to  use  the 
hickory,  "Now,"  sa3^s  he  to  the  thief,  "You  infernal  scoundrel, 
I'll  work  your  jacket  nineteen  to  the  dozen.  Only  think  what  a 
rascally  figure  I  should  make  in  the  streets  of  Baltimore  without  a  bell 
on  my  horse. ' '  The  man  was  in  earnest  ;  having  seen  no  horse  used 
without  bells,  he  thought  they  were  requisite  in  every  situation. 


HUNTING. 


263 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
HUNTING. 

This  was  an  important  part  of  the  employment  of  the  earl}^  set- 
tlers of  this  country.  For  some  years  the  woods  supplied  them  with 
the  great  amount  of  their  subsistence,  and  with  regard  to  some 
families,  in  certain  times,  the  whole  of  it ;  for  it  was  no  uncommon 
thing  for  families  to  live  several  months  without  a  mouthful  of 
bread.  It  frequently  happened  that  there  was  no  breakfast  until  it 
was  obtained  from  the  woods.  Fur  and  peltrj''  was  the  people's  money; 
they  had  nothing  else  to  give  in  exchange  for  rifles,  salt  and  iron, 
on  this  side  of  the  mountains. 

The  fall  and  early  part  of  the  winter  was  the  season  for  hunt- 
ing the  deer,  and  the  whole  of  the  winter,  including  part  of  the 
spring,  for  bears  and  skinned  animals.  It  was  a  customary  saying 
that  fur  is  good  during  every  month  in  the  name  of  w^hich  the  letter 
R  occurs. 

The  class  of  hunters  with  whom  I  was  best  acquainted  w^ere 
those  whose  hunting  rangers  were  on  the  western  side  of  the  River 
and  at  the  distance  of  eight  or  nine  miles  from  it.  As  soon  as  the 
leaves  were  pretty  well  down,  and  the  w^eather  became  rainy  ac- 
companied with  light  snows,  these  men,  after  acting  the  part  of 
husbandmen,  so  far  as  the  state  of  warfare  permitted  them  to  do  so, 
soon  began  to  feel  that  they  w^ere  hunters.  They  became  uneasy  at 
home  ;  everything  about  them  became  disagreeable  ;  the  house  was 
too  warm,  the  feather  bed  too  soft,  and  even  the  good  wife  w^as  not 
thought  for  the  time  being  a  proper  companion  ;  the  mind  of  the 
hunter  w^as  wholly  occupied  with  the  camp  and  chase. 

I  have  often  seen  them  get  up  early  in  the  morning  at  this  sea- 
son, walk  hastily  out  and  look  anxiously  at  the  w^oods,  and  snuff 
the  autumnal  winds  with  the  highest  rapture,  then  return  into  the 
house  and  cast  a  quick  and  attentive  look  at  the  rifle,  which  w^as 
always  suspended  to  a  joist  by  a  couple  of  buck's  horns  or  little 
forks  ;  his  hunting  dog  understanding  the  intentions  of  his  master, 
would  wag  his  tail,  and  by  every  blandishment  in  his  power  express 
readiness  to  accompany  him  to  the  woods. 

A  da}^  was  soon  appointed  for  the  march  of  the  little  cavalcade 
to  the  camp.  Two  or  three  horses  furnished  with  pack-saddles  were 
loaded  with  flour,  Indian  meal,  blankets,  and  everything  else  requi- 
site for  the  use  of  the  hunter. 


264 


HUNTING. 


A  hunting  camp,  or  what  was  called  a  half-faced  cabin,  was  of 
the  following  form  ;  the  back  part  of  it  was  sometimes  a  large  log  ; 
at  the  distance  of  eight  or  ten  feet  from  this  two  stakes  vv^ere  set  in 
the  ground  a  few  inches  apart,  and  at  the  distance  of  eight  or  ten 
feet  from  these  two  more  to  receive  the  ends  of  the  poles  for  the 
sides  for  the  camp  ;  the  whole  slope  of  the  roof  was  from  the  front 
to  the  back  ;  the  covering  was  made  of  slabs,  skin  and  blankets,  or, 
if  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  the  bark  of  hickory  or  ash  trees  ;  the 
front  was  left  entirely  open  ;  the  fire  was  built  directly  before  this 
opening  ;  the  cracks  between  the  logs  were  filled  with  moss,  the  dry 
leaves  for  a  bed.  It  is  thus  that  a  couple  of  men  in  a  few  hours 
will  construct  for  themselves  a  temporary  and  tolerabl}^  comfortable 
defense  from  the  inclemency  of  the  weather;  the  beaver,  otter,  musk- 
rat  and  squirrel  are  scarcely  their  equals  in  dispatch  in  fabricating 
for  themselves  a  covert  from  the  tempest  ! 

A  little  more  pains  w^ould  have  made  a  hunting  camp  a  defense 
against  the  Indians.  A  cabin  ten  feet  square,  bullet  proof  and  furn- 
ished with  port  holes,  would  have  enabled  tw'O  or  three  hunters  to 
hold  twenty  Indians  at  bay  for  any  length  of  time  ;  but  this  precau- 
tion I  believe  was  never  attended  to  ;  hence  the  hunters  were  often 
surprised  and  killed  in  their  camps. 

The  site  for  the  camp  was  selected  with  all  the  sagacity  of  the 
woodsmen,  so  as  to  have  it  shelted  by  the  surrounding  hills  from 
every  w^nd,  but  more  especially  from  those  of  the  north  and  west. 

An  uncle  of  mine,  of  the  name  of  Samuel  Teter,  occupied  the 
same  camp  for  several  years  in  succession.  It  was  situated  on  one 
of  the  southern  branches  of  Cross  Creek.  Although  I  have  lived 
many  years  not  more  than  fifteen  miles  from  the  place,  it  was  not 
till  within  a  few  years  that  I  disco\^ered  its  situation,  when  it  was 
shown  to  me  by  a  gentleman  living  in  the  neighborhood.  Viewing 
the  hills  round  about  it,  I  soon  perceived  the  sagacity  of  the  hunter 
in  the  site  of  his  camp.  Not  a  wind  could  touch  him,  and  unless  by 
the  report  of  his  gun  or  the  sound  of  his  axe,  it  would  have  been  by 
mere  accident  if  an  Indian  had  discovered  his  concealment. 

Hunting  was  not  a  mere  ramble  in  pursuit  of  game,  in  which 
there  was  nothing  of  skill  andcalculation  ;  on  the  contrary,  the  hun- 
ter, before  he  set  out  in  the  morning  was  informed  by  the  state  of  the 
weather  in  what  situation  he  might  reasonably  expect  to  meet  with 
his  game,  whether  on  the  bottoms,  sides  or  tops  of  the  hills.  In 
storm}^  weather  the  deer  always  seek  the  most  sheltered  places  and 
the  leeward  sides  of  the  hills.  In  rainy  weather  in  which  there 
is  not  much  wind,  they  keep  in  the  open  woods  on  the  highest 
ground. 

In  every  situation  it  was  requisite  for  the  hunter  to  ascertain 
the  course  of  the  v>^ind,  so  as  to  get  to  the  leeward  of  the  game. 
This  he  effected  by  putting  his  finger  in  his  mouth  and  holding  it 
there  until  it  became  warm ;  then  holding  it  above  his  head,  the 
side  which  first  becomes  cold  shows  which  way  the  Vv^ind  blows. 


HUNTING. 


265 


As  it  was  requisite  too  for  the  hunter  to  know  the  cardinal 
points,  he  had  only  to  observe  the  trees  to  ascertain  them.  The 
bark  of  an  aged  tree  is  thicker  and  much  rougher  on  the  north  than 
on  the  south  side.  The  same  thing  may  be  said  of  the  moss,  it  is 
thicker  and  stronger  on  the  north  than  on  the  south  side  of  the 
trees. 

The  whole  business  of  the  hunter  consists  of  a  succession  of  in- 
trigues. From  morning  to  night  he  was  on  the  alert  to  gain  the 
wind  of  his  game,  and  approach  them  without  being  discovered.  If 
he  succeed  in  killing  a  deer,  he  skinned  it  and  hung  it  up  out  of  the 
reach  of  the  wolves,  and  immediately  resumed  the  chase  till  the 
close  of  the  evening,  when  he  bent  his  course  towards  his  camp  ; 
when  arrived  there,  he  kindled  up  his  fire,  and  together  his  fellow 
hunters  cooked  their  supper.  The  supper  finished,  the  adventures 
of  the  day  furnished  the  tales  for  the  evening  ;  the  spike  buck,  the 
two  and  three  pronged  buck,  the  doe  and  the  barren  doe,  figured 
through  their  anecdotes  with  great  advantage.  It  should  seem  that 
after  hunting  awhile  on  the  same  ground,  the  hunters  became  ac- 
quainted with  nearly  all  the  gangs  of  deer  within  their  ranger,  so  as 
to  know  each  flock  of  them  when  they  saw  them.  Often  some  old 
buck,  b}^  the  means  of  his  superior  sagacity  and  watchfulness,  saved 
his  little  gang  from  the  hunter's  skill,  by  giving  timely  notice  of 
his  approach.  The  cunning  of  the  hunter  and  that  of  the  old  buck 
where  staked  against  each  other,  and  it  frequently  happened  that 
at  the  conclusion  of  the  hunting  season,  the  old  fellow  was  left  the 
free  uninjured  tenant  of  his  forest ;  but  if  his  rival  succeeded  in 
bringing  him  down,  the  victory  was  followed  by  no  small  amount 
of  boasting  on  the  part  of  the  conqueror. 

When  the  weather  was  not  suitable  for  hunting,  the  skins  and 
carcasses  ot  the  game  were  brought  in  and  disposed  of. 

Many  of  the  hunters  rested  from  their  labors  on  the  Sabbath 
day,  some  from  a  motive  of  piety,  others  said  that  whenever  they 
hunted  on  Sunda}^  they  were  sure  to  have  bad  luck  all  the  rest  of 
the  week. 


34 


266 


THE  WEDDING. 


CHAPTKR  XXII. 

TKK  WEDDING. 

For  a  long  time  after  the  first  settlement  of  this  country  the  in- 
habitants in  general  married  young.  There  was  no  distinction  of 
rank,  and  very  little  of  fortune.  On  these  accounts  the  first  impres- 
sion of  love  resulted  in  marriage,  and  a  family  establishment  cost 
but  a  little  labor  and  nothing  else. 

A  description  of  a  wedding,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  will 
serve  to  show  the  manners  of  our  forefathers,  and  mark  the  grade  of 
civilization  which  has  succeeded  to  their  rude  state  of  society  in  the 
course  of  a  few  years. 

At  an  early  period  the  practice  of  celebrating  the  marriage  at 
the  house  of  the  bride  began,  and  it  shouid  seem  with  great  pro- 
priety. She  also  had  the  choice  of  the  priest  to  perform  the 
ceremony. 

In  the  first  years  of  the  settlement  of  this  country,  a  wedding: 
engaged  the  attention  of  the  whole  neighorhood,  and  the  frolic  was 
anticipated  by  old  and  young  with  eager  anticipation.  This  is  not 
to  be  wondered  at,  when  it  is  told  that  a  wedding  was  almost 
the  only  gathering  which  was  not  accompanied  with  the  labor  of 
reaping,  log-rolling,  building  a  cabin,  or  planning  some  scout  or 
campaign. 

In  the  morning  of  the  wedding  day,  the  groom  and  his  attend- 
ants assembled  at  the  house  of  his  father,  for  the  purpose  of  reach- 
ing the  mansion  of  his  bride  by  noon,  which  was  the  usual  time 
for  celebrating  the  nuptials,  which  for  certain  must  take  place  before 
dinner. 

Let  the  reader  imagine  an  assemblage  of  people,  without  a 
store,  tailor  or  mantuamaker,  within  an  hundred  miles,  and  an  as- 
semblage of  horses,  without  a  blacksmith  or  saddler  within  an  equal 
distance.  The  gentlemen  dressed  in  shoe-packs,  moccasons,  leather 
breeches,  leggins,  and  linsey  hunting  shirts,  all  home-made.  The 
ladies  dressed  in  linsey  petticoats,  and  linsey  or  linen  bed-gowns, 
coarse  shoes,  stockings,  handkerchiefs  and  buckskin  gloves,  if  any  ; 
if  there  were  any  buckles,  rings,  buttons  or  ruffles,  they  were  the 
relics  of  old  times,  family  pieces  from  parents  or  grandparents. 
The  horses  were  caparisoned  with  old  saddles,  old  bridles  or  halters, 
and  pack-saddles,  with  a  bag  or  blanket  thrown  over  them  ;  a  rope 
or  string  as  often  constituted  the  girth  as  a  piece  of  leather. 


THE  WEDDING. 


267 


The  march  in  double  file,  was  often  interrupted  by  the  narrow- 
ness and  obstructions  of  our  horse-paths,  as  they  were  called,  for  we 
had  no  roads  ;  and  these  difiiculties  were  often  increased,  sometimes 
by  the  good,  and  sometimes  by  the  ill-will  of  neighbors,  by  falling 
trees  and  tying  grape-vines  across  the  way.  Sometimes  an  ambus- 
cade was  formed  by  the  way  side,  an  unexpected  discharge  of  sev- 
eral guns  took  place,  so  as  to  cover  the  wedding  company  with 
smoke.  Let  the  reader  imagine  the  scene  which  followed  this  dis- 
charge, the  sudden  spring  of  the  horses,  the  shrieks  of  the  girls,  and 
the  chivalric  bustle  of  their  partners  to  save  them  from  falling.  Some- 
times, in  spite  all  that  could  be  done  to  prevent  it,  some  were  thrown 
to  the  ground  ;  if  a  wrist,  elbow  or  ankle  happened  to  be  sprained, 
it  was  tied  with  a  handkerchief,  and  little  more  was  thought  or  said 
about  it. 

Another  ceremony  took  place  before  the  party  reached  the  house 
of  the  bride,  after  the  practice  of  making  whiskey  began,  which  was 
at  an  early  period.  When  the  party  was  about  a  mile  from  the 
place  of  their  destination,  two  young  men  would  single  out  to  run 
for  the  bottle  ;  the  worse  the  path,  the  more  logs,  brush  and  deep 
hollows,  the  better,  as  these  obstacles  afforded  an  opportunity  for 
the  greatest  display  of  intripidity  and  horsemanship.  The  English 
fox  chase,  in  point  of  danger  to  their  riders  and  their  horses,  was 
nothing  to  this  race  for  the  bottle.  The  start  was  announced  by  an 
Indian  yell,  when  logs,  brush,  mud  holes,  hill  and  glen,  were  speed- 
ily passed  by  the  rival  ponies.  The  bottle  was  always  filled  for  the 
occasion,  so  that  there  was  no  use  for  judges  ;  for  the  first  who 
reached  the  door  was  presented  with  the  prize,  with  which  he  re- 
turned in  triumph  to  the  company.  On  approaching  them  he  an- 
nounced his  victory  over  his  rival  by  a  shrill  whoop.  At  the  head 
of  the  troop  he  gave  the  bottle  to  the  groom  and  his  attendants,  and 
then  to  each  pair  in  succession,  to  the  rear  of  the  line,  giving  each 
a  dram ;  and  then  putting  the  bottle  in  the  bosom  of  his  hunting 
shirt,  took  his  station  in  the  company. 

The  ceremony  of  the  marriage  preceded  the  dinner,  which  was 
a  substantial  backwoods  feast  of  beef,  pork,  fowls,  and  sometimes 
vension  and  bear  meat,  roasted  and  boiled,  with  plenty  of  potatoes, 
cabbage  and  other  vegetables.  During  the  dinner  the  greatest  hil- 
arity always  prevailed,  although  the  table  might  be  a  large  slab  of 
timber,  hewed  out  with  a  broad-axe,  supported  by  four  sticks  set  in 
auger  holes,  and  the  furniture,  some  old  pewter  dishes  and  plates, 
the  rest  wooden  bowls  and  trenchers.  A  few  pewter  spoons,  much 
battered  about  the  edges,  were  to  be  seen  at  some  tables ;  the  rest 
were  of  horn.  If  knives  were  scarce,  the  deficiency  was  made  up 
by  the  scalping  knives,  which  were  carried  in  sheathes  suspended  to 
the  belt  of  the  hunting  shirt. 

After  dinner  the  dancing  commenced,  and  generally  lasted  until 
the  next  morning.  The  figures  of  the  dances  were  three  and  four 
handed  reels,  or  square  with  sets  and  jigs.    The  commencement 


268 


THE  WEDDING. 


was  always  a  square  four,  which  was  followed  by  what  was  called 
jigging  it  off,  that  is,  two  of  the  four  would  single  out  for  a  jig,  and 
were  followed  by  the  remaining  couple.  The  jigs  were  often  accom- 
panied with  what  was  called  cutting  out,  that  is,  when  any  of  the  par- 
ties became  tired  of  the  dance,  on  intimation,  the  place  was  supplied 
by  some  of  the  company,  without  any  interruption  of  the  dance  ;  in 
this  way  a  dance  was  often  continued  until  the  musician  was  heart- 
ily tired  of  his  situation.  Towards  the  latter  part  of  the  night,  if 
an}^  of  the  company  through  weariness  attempted  to  conceal 
themselves  for  the  purpose  of.  sleeping,  they  were  hunted  up, 
paraded  on  the  floor,  and  the  fiddler  ordered  to  play  ' '  hang  out 
till  morning." 

About  nine  or  ten  o'clock  a  deputation  of  3^oung  ladies  stole  off 
the  bride  and  put  her  to  bed.  In  doing  this  it  frequently  happened 
that  they  had  to  ascend  a  ladder  instead  of  a  pair  of  stairs,  leading 
from  the  dining  and  ball-room  to  the  loft,  the  floor  of  which  was  made 
of  clapboards  lying  loose  and  without  nails.  This  ascent  one  might 
think  would  put  the  bride  and  her  attendants  to  the  blush  ;  but  as 
the  foot  of  the  ladder  was  commonly  behind  the  door,  which  was 
purposely  open  for  the  occasion,  and  its  rounds  at  the  inner  ends  were 
well  hung  with  hunting  shirts,  petticoats  and  other  articles  of  cloth- 
ing, the  candles  being  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  house,  the  exit  of 
the  bride  was  noticed  but  by  a  few.  This  done,  a  deputation  of 
young  men  in  like  manner  stole  off  the  groom  and  placed  him  snugly 
by  the  side  of  his  bride.  The  dance  still  continued,  and  if  seats 
happened  to  be  scarce,  which  was  often  the  case,  every  young  man 
when  not  engaged  in  the  dance  was  obliged  to  offer  his  lap  as  a  seat 
for  one  of  the  girls,  and  the  offer  was  sure  to  be  accepted.  In  the 
midst  of  this  hilarity  the  bride  and  groom  were  not  forgotten. 
Pretty  late  in  the  night  some  one  would  remind  the  company  that 
the  new  couple  must  stand  in  need  of  some  refreshments  ;  Black 
Betty,  which  was  the  name  of  the  bottle,  was  called  for  and  sent  up 
the  ladder.  But  sometimes  Black  Betty  did  not  go  alone.  I  have 
many  times  seen  as  much  bread,  beef,  pork  and  cabbage,  sent  along 
with  her,  as  would  afford  a  meal  for  a  half  a  dozen  of  hungry  men. 
The  young  couple  was  compelled  to  eat  more  or  less  of  whatever 
was  offered  them. 

In  the  course  of  the  festivity,  if  any  wanted  to  help  himself  to 
a  dram  and  the  young  couple  to  a  toast,  he  would  call  out,  Where 
is  Black  Betty  ?  I  want  to  kiss  her  sweet  lips. ' '  Black  Betty  was 
soon  handed  to  him,  when,  holding  her  up  in  his  right  hand,  he 
would  say,  '*  Here's  health  to  the  groom,  not  forgetting  myself,  and 
here's  to  the  bride,  thumping  luck  and  big  children!"  This,  so 
far  from  being  taken  amiss,  was  considered  as  an  expression  of  a 
very  proper  and  friendly  wish  ;  for  big  children,  especially  sons, 
were  of  great  importance,  as  we  were  few  in  number  and  engaged  in 
perpetual  hostility  with  the  Indians,  and  the  end  of  which  no  one 
could  foresee.    Indeed,  many  of  them  seemed  to  suppose  that 


THE  WEDDING. 


269 


war  was  the  natural  state  of  man,  and  therefore  did  not  anticipate 
any  conclusion  of  it ;  every  big  son  was  therefore  considered  as  a 
young  soldier. 

But  to  return.  It  often  happened  that  some  neighbors  or  rela- 
tions, not  being  asked  to  the  wedding,  took  offense  ;  and  the  mode 
of  revenge  adopted  by  them  on  such  occasions,  was  that  of  cut- 
ting off  the  manes,  foretops,  and  tails  of  the  horses  of  tue  wedding 
company. 

Another  method  of  revenge,  which  was  adopted  when  the  chas- 
tity of  the  bride  was  a  little  suspected,  was  that  of  setting  up  a  pair 
of  horns  on  poles  or  trees,  on  the  route  of  the  wedding  company. 
This  was  a  hint  to  the  groom  that  he  might  expect  to  be  compli- 
mented with  a  pair  of  horns  himself. 

On  returning  to  the  infare,  the  order  of  procession  and  the  race 
for  Black  Betty  was  the  same  as  before.  The  feasting  and  dancing 
often  lasted  several  days,  at  the  end  of  which  the  whole  company 
was  so  exhausted  with  loss  of  sleep,  that  several  days'  rest  were  re- 
quisite to  fit  them  to  return  to  their  ordinary  labors. 

Should  I  be  asked  why  I  have  presented  this  unpleasant  por- 
trait of  the  rude  manners  of  our  forefathers?  I  in  my  turn  would  ask 
my  reader,  why  are  you  pleased  with  the  histories  of  the  blood  and 
carnage  of  battles  ?  Why  are  you  delighted  with  the  fictions  of  poe- 
try, the  novel  and  romance?  I  have  related  truth,  and  only  truth, 
strange  as  it  may  seem.  I  have  depicted  a  state  of  society  and  man- 
ners which  are  fast  vanishing  from  the  memory  of  man,  with  a  view 
to  give  the  youth  of  our  country  a  knowledge  of  the  advantage  of 
civilization,  and  to  give  contentment  to  the  aged  by  preventing  them 
from  saying,  ' '  that  former  times  were  better  than  the  present. ' ' 


270 


THE  HOUSE  WARMING. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE  HOUSE  WARMING. 

I  will  proceed  to  state  the  usual  manner  of  settling  a  young 
couple  in  the  world. 

A  spot  was  selected  on  a  piece  of  land  of  one  of  the  parents  for 
their  habitation.  A  day  was  appointed  shortly  after  their  marriage 
for  commencing  ^the  work  of  building  their  cabin.  The  fatigue 
party  consisted  of  choppers,  whose  business  it  was  to  fall  the  trees 
and  cut  them  off  at  proper  lengths — a  man  with  his  team  for  haul- 
ing them  to  the  place,  and  arranging  them,  properly  assorted,  at  the 
sides  and  ends  of  the  building — and  a  carpenter,  if  such  he  might  be 
called,  whose  business  it  was  to  search  the  woods  for  a  proper  tree 
for  making  clapboards  for  the  roof.  The  tree  for  this  purpose  must 
be  straight-grained,  and  from  three  to  four  feet  in  diameter.  The 
boards  were  split  four  feet  long,  with  a  large  frow,  and  as  wide  as 
the  timber  would  allow.  They  were  used  without  planing  or  shav- 
ing. Another  division  were  employed  in  getting  puncheons  for  the 
floor  of  the  cabin  ;  this  was  done  by  splitting  trees  about  eighteen 
inches  in  diameter,  and  hewing  the  faces  of  them  with  a  broad-axe. 
They  were  half  the  length  of  the  floor  they  were  intended  to  make. 

The  materials  for  the  cabin  was  mostly  prepared  on  the  first  day, 
and  sometimes  the  foundations  laid  in  the  evening  ;  the  second  day 
was  allotted  for  the  raising. 

In  the  morning  of  the  next  day  the  neighbors  collected  for  the 
raising.  The  first  thing  to  be  done  was  the  election  of  four  corner- 
men, whose  business  it  was  to  notch  and  place  the  logs,  the  rest  of 
the  company  furnishing  them  with  timbers.  In  the  mean  time  the 
boards  and  puncheons  were  collected  for  the  floor  and  roof,  so  that 
by  the  time  the  cabin  was  a  few  rounds  high,  the  sleepers  and  floor 
began  to  be  laid.  The  door  was  made  by  cutting  or  sawing  the  logs 
in  one  side  so  as  to  make  an  opening  about  three  feet  wide ;  this 
opening  was  secured  by  upright  pieces  of  timber  about  three  inches 
thick,  through  which  holes  were  bored  into  the  ends  of  the  logs  for 
the  purpose  of  pinning  them  fast.  A  similar  opening,  but  wider, 
was  made  at  the  end  for  the  chimney.  This  was  built  of  logs,  and 
made  large,  to  admit  of  a  back  and  jambs  of  stone.  At  the  square 
two  end  logs  projected  a  foot  or  eighteen  inches  beyond  the  wall,  to 
receive  the  butting  poles  as  they  were  called,  against  which  the  ends 
of  the  first  row  of  clapboards  was  supported.    The  roof  was  formed 


THE  HOUSE  WARMING. 


271 


by  making  the  end  logs  shorter  until  a  single  log  formed 
the  comb  of  the  roof.  On  these  logs  the  clapboards  were  placed, 
the  ranges  of  them  lapping  some  distance  over  the  next  below 
them,  and  kept  in  their  places  by  logs  placed  at  proper  distances 
from  them. 

The  roof  and  sometimes  the  floor  were  finished  on  the  same  day 
of  the  raising  ;  a  third  day  was  commonly  spent  by  a  few  carpenters 
in  levelling  off  the  floor,  making  a  clapboard  door  and  a  table.  This 
last  was  made  of  a  split  slab,  and  supported  by  four  round  legs  set  in 
auger  holes  ;  some  three-legged  stools  were  made  in  the  same  man- 
ner. Some  pins,  stuck  in  the  logs  at  the  back  of  the  house,  sup- 
ported some  clapboards  which  serv^ed  for  shelves  for  table  furniture. 
A  single  fork,  placed  with  its  lower  end  in  a  hole  in  the  floor,  and 
the  upper  end  fastened  to  a  joist,  served  for  a  bedstead,  by  placing 
a  pole  in  the  fork  with  one  end  through  a  crack  between  the  logs  in 
the  wall.  This  front  pole  was  crossed  by  a  shorter  one  within  the 
fork,  with  its  outer  end  through  another  crack.  From  the  front 
pole,  through  a  crack  between  the  logs  of  the  end  of  the  house,  the 
boards  were  put  on  which  formed  the  bottom  of  the  bed.  Some- 
times other  poles  were  pinned  to  the  fork  a  little  distance  between 
these,  for  the  purpose  of  supporting  the  front  and  foot  of  the  bed, 
while  the  walls  were  the  support  of  its  back  and  head.  A  few  pegs 
around  the  walls,  for  the  display  of  the  coats  of  the  women  and 
hunting  shirts  of  the  men,  and  two  small  forks  of  buck's  horns  to  a 
joist  for  the  rifle  and  shot  pouch,  completed  the  carpenter  work. 

In  the  mean  time  masons  were  at  work.  With  the  heart  pieces 
of  the  timber  of  which  the  clapboards  were  made,  they  made  billets 
for  chunking  up  the  cracks  between  the  logs  of  the  cabin  and  chim- 
ney. A  large  bed  of  mortar*was  made  for  daubing  up  the  cracks  ; 
and  a  few  stones  formed  the  back  and  jambs  of  the  chimney. 

The  cabin  being  finished,  the  ceremony  of  house  warming  took 
place,  before  the  young  couple  were  permitted  to  move  into  it. 
This  was  a  dance  of  the  whole  night's  continuance,  made  up  of  the 
relations  of  the  bride  and  groom  and  their  neighbors.  On  the  day 
following,  the  young  couple  took  possession  of  their  new  mansion. 


272 


WORKING. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

WORKING. 

The  necessary  labors  of  the  farms  along  the  frontiers  were  per- 
formed with  every  danger  and  difficulty  imaginable.  The  whole 
population  of  the  frontiers,  huddled  together  in  their  little  Forts, 
the  country  with  every  appearance  of  a  deserted  region  ;  and  such 
would  have  been  the  opinion  of  the  traveler  concerning  it,  if  he  had 
not  seen  here  and  there  some  small  fields  of  corn  or  some  other  grain 
in  a  growing  state. 

It  is  easy  to  imagine  what  losses  must  have  been  sustained  by 
our  first  settlers  owing  to  this  deserted  state  of  our  farms.  It  was 
not  the  full  measure  of  their  trouble  that  they  risked  their  lives,  and 
often  lost  them,  in  subduing  the  forest  and  turning  it  into  fruitful 
fields ;  but  compelled  to  leave  them  in  a  deserted  state  during  the  . 
summer  season,  a  great  part  of  the  fruits  of  their  labors  was  lost  by 
this  untoward  circumstance.  The  sheep  and  hogs  were  devoured  by 
the  wolves,  panthers  and  bears.  Horses  and  cattle  were  often  let 
into  their  fields,  through  breeches  made  in  their  fences  by  the 
falling  trees,  and  frequently  almost  the  whole  of  a  little  crop  of  corn 
was  destroyed  by  squirrels  and  raccoons,  so  that  many  famillies,  even 
after  an  hazardous  and  laborious  spring  and  summer,  had  but  little 
left  for  the  comfort  of  the  dreary  winter. 

The  early  settlers  on  the  frontiers  of  this  country  were  like 
Arabs  of  the  desert  of  Africa,  in  at  least  two  respects.  Every  man 
was  a  soldier,  and  from  early  in  the  spring  till  late  in  the  fall  was 
almost  continually  in  arms.  Their  work  was  often  carried  on  by 
parties,  each  one  of  whom  had  his  rifle  and  everything  else  belong- 
ing to  his  war  dress.  These  were  deposited  in  some  central  place  in 
the  field.  A  sentinel  was  stationed  on  the  outside  of  the  fence,  so 
that  on  the  least  alarm  the  whole  company  repaired  to  their  arms, 
and  were  ready  for  combat  in  a  moment. 

Here  again  the  rashness  of  some  families  proved  a  source  of 
difficulty,  instead  of  joining  the  working  parties,  they  went  out  and 
attended  their  farms  by  themselves,  and  in  case  of  alarm,  an  express 
was  sent  for  them,  and  sometimes  a  party  of  men  to  guard  them  to 
the  Fort.  Those  families,  in  some  instances,  could  boast  that  they 
had  better  crops,  and  were  every  way  better  provided  for  in  the  win- 
ter than  their  neighbors  ?  in  other  instances  their  temerity  cost  them 
their  lives. 


WORKING. 


273 


In  military  affairs,  when  eyery  one  concerned  is  left  to  his  own 
will,  matters  were  sure  to  be  badly  managed.  The  whole  frontiers 
of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  presented  a  succession  of  military 
camps  or  forts.  We  had  military  officers,  that  is  to  say,  captains 
and  colonels  ;  but  they  in  many  respect  were  only  nominally  such. 
The  could  advise,  but  not  command.  Those  who  choose  to  follow 
their  advice  did  so,  to  such  an  extent  as  suited  their  fancy  or  inter- 
est. Others  were  refractory  and  gave  much  trouble.  These  officers 
would  leave  a  scout  or  campaign,  while  those  who  thought  proper  to 
accompany  them  did  so,  and  those  who  did  not  remained  at  home. 
Public  odium  was  the  only  punishment  for  their  laziness  or  coward- 
ice. There  was  no  compulsion  to  the  performance  of  military  duties, 
and  no  pecuniary  reward  when  they  were  performed. 

It  is  but  doing  justice  to  the  first  settlers  of  this  country  to  say, 
that  instances  of  disobedience  of  families  and  individuals  to  the  ad- 
vice of  our  officers,  were  by  no  means  numerous.  The  greater  num- 
ber cheerfully  submitted  to  the  directions  with  a  prompt  and  faith- 
ful obedience. 


35 


274 


MECHANIC  ARTS. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

MECHANIC  ARTS. 

In  giving  a  history  of  the  state  of  the  mechanic  arts,  as  they 
were  exercised  at  an  early  period  of  the  settlement  of  this  country, 
I  shall  present  a  people,  driven  by  necessity  to  perform  works  of 
mechanical  skill,  far  beyond  what  a  person  enjoying  all  the  advan- 
tages of  civilization,  would  expect  from  a  population  placed  in  such 
destitute  circumstances. 

My  readers  will  naturally  ask  where  were  their  mills  for 
grinding  grain,  where  there  tanners  for  making  leather,  where  their 
smith  shops  for  making  and  repairing  their  farming  utensils  ?  Who 
were  their  carpenters,  tailors,  cabinet  workmen,  shoemakers  and 
weavers?  The  answer  is,  those  manufacturers  did  not  exist,  nor 
had  they  any  tradesmen  who  were  professedly  such.  Every  family 
were  under  the  necessity  of  doing  everything  for  themselves  as  well 
as  they  could. 

The  hominy  blocks  and  hand  mills  were  used  in  most  of  our 
houses.  The  first  was  made  of  a  large  block  of  wood  about  three 
feet  long,  with  an  excavation  burned  in  one  end,  wide  at  the  top  and 
narrow  at  the  bottom,  so  that  the  action  of  the  pestle  on  the  bottom 
threw  the  corn  up  to  the  sides  towards  the  top  of  it,  from  whence  it 
continually  fell  down  into  the  centre.  In  consequence  of  this 
movement,  the  whole  mass  of  the  grain  was  pretty  equally  subjected 
to  the  strokes  of  the  pestle.  In  the  fall  of  the  year,  whilst  the  In- 
dian corn  was  soft,  the  block  and  pestle  did  very  well  for  making 
meal  for  journeycake  and  mush,  but  were  rather  slow  when  the  corn 
became  hard. 

The  sweep  was  sometimes  used  to  lessen  the  toil  of  pounding 
grain  into  meal.  This  was  a  pole  of  springy  elastic  wood,  thirty 
feet  long  or  more,  the  butt  end  of  which  was  placed  under  the  side 
of  a  house  or  large  stump.  The  pole  was  supported  by  two  forks, 
placed  about  one  third  of  its  length  from  its  butt  end,  so  as  to  ele- 
vate the  small  end  about  fifteen  feet  from  the  ground.  To  this  was 
attached,  by  a  large  mortise,  a  piece  of  sapling  about  five  or  six 
inches  in  diameter,  and  eight  or  ten  feet  long,  the  lower  end  of 
•  which  was  shaped  so  as  to  answer  for  a  pestle,  and  a  pin  of  wood 

was  put  through  it  at  a  proper  height,  so  that  two  persons  could  work 
at  'the  sweeps.  This  simple  machine  very  much  lessened  the  labor 
and  expedited  the  work. 


MECHANIC  ARTS. 


275 


I  remember  that  when  a  boy  I  put  up  an  excellent  sweep  at 
my  father's.  It  was  made  of  a  sugar  tree  sapling,  and  was  kept 
going  almost  constantly  from  morning  till  night  by  our  neighbors 
for  several  weeks. 

In  the  Greenbrier  country,  where  they  had  a  number  of  salt- 
petre caves,  the  first  settlers  made  plenty  of  excellent  gunpowder  by 
means  of  these  sweeps  and  mortars. 

A  machine  still  more  simple  than  the  mortar  and  pestle  was 
used  for  making  meal  when  the  corn  was  too  soft  to  be  beaten.  It 
was  called  a  grater.  This  was  a  half  circular  piece  of  tin,  perforated 
with  a  punch  from  the  concave  side,  and  nailed  by  its  edges  to  a 
block  of  wood.  The  ears  of  corn  was  rubbed  on  its  rough  edges 
of  the  holes,  while  the  meal  fell  through  them  on  the  board  or  block 
to  which  the  grater  was  nailed,  which  being  in  a  slanting  direction, 
discharged  the  meal  into  a  cloth  or  bowl  placed  for  its  reception. 
This,  to  be  sure,  was  a  slow  way  of  making  meal,  but  necessity  has 
no  law. 

The  hand  mill  was  better  than  the  mortar  and  grater.  It  was 
made  of  two  circular  stones,  the  lowest  of  which  was  called  the  bed 
stone,  the  upper  one  the  runner.  These  were  placed  in  a  hoop, 
with  a  spout  for  discharging  the  meal.  A  staff  was  let  into  a  hole 
in  the  upper  surface  of  the  runner,  near  the  outer  edge,  and  its 
upper  end  through  a  hole  in  a  board  fastened  to  a  joist  above,  so 
that  two  persons  could  be  employed  in  turning  the  mill  at  the  same 
time.  The  grain  was  put  into  the  opening  in  the  runner  by  hand. 
These  mills  are  still  in  use  in  Palestine,  the  ancient  country  of  the 
Jews.  To  a  mill  of  this  sort  our  Saviour  alluded,  when,  with  reference 
to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  he  said,  "Two  women  shall  be 
grinding  at  a  mill,  one  shall  be  taken  and  the  other  left." 

This  mill  is  much  preferrable  to  that  used  at  present  in  upper 
Egypt  for  making  the  dhourra  bread.  It  is  a  smooth  stone, 
placed  on  an  inclined  plane,  upon  which  the  grain  is  spread, 
which  is  made  into  meal  by  rubbing  another  stone  up  and  down 
upon  it. 

Our  first  water  mills  was  of  that  description  denominated  tub 
mills.  It  consisted  of  a  perpendicular  shaft,  to  the  lower  end  of 
which  a  horizontal  wheel  of  about  four  or  five  feet  in  diameter  is  at- 
tached ;  the  upper  end  passes  through  the  bed  stone  and  carries  the 
runner,  after  the  manner  of  a  trundlehead.  These  mills  were  built 
with  very  little  expense,  and  many  of  them  answered  the  purposes 
very  well.  Instead  of  bolting  cloths,  sifters  were  in  general  use. 
These  were  made  of  deer  skins  in  the  state  of  parchment,  stretched 
over  a  hoop  and  perforated  with  a  hot  wire. 

Our  clothing  was  all  of  domestic  manufacture.  We  had  no 
other  resources  for  clothing,  and  this  indeed  was  a  poor  one.  The 
crops  of  flax  often  failed,  and  the  sheep  were  destroyed  by  the  wolves. 
Linsey,  which  is  made  of  flax  and  wool,  the  former  the  chain,  and 
the  latter  the  filling,  was  the  warmest  and  most  substantial  cloth  we 


276 


MECHANIC  ARTS. 


could  make.  Almost  every  house  contained  a  loom  and  almost  every 
woman  was  a  weaver. 

Every  family  tanned  their  own  leather.  The  tan  vat  was  a 
large  trough  sunk  to  the  upper  end  in  the  ground.  A  quanity  of 
bark  was  easily  obtained  every  spring  in  clearing  and  fencing 
land.  This,  after  drying,  was  brought  in,  and  in  wet  days  was 
shaved  and  pounded  on  a  block  of  wood  with  an  axe  or  mallet. 
Ashes  was  used  in  place  of  lime  for  taking  off  the  hair.  Bear's  oil, 
hog's  lard  and  tallow,  answered  the  place  of  fish  oil.  The  leather, 
to  be  sure,  was  coarse  ;  but  it  was  substantially  good.  The  opera- 
tion of  currying  was  performed  by  a  drawing  knife  with  its  edge 
turned  after  the  manner  of  a  currying  knife.  The  blacking  for  the 
leather  was  made  of  soot  and  hog's  lard. 

Almost  every  family  contained  its  own  tailors  and  shoemak- 
ers. Those  who  could  not  make  shoes  could  make  shoe-packs. 
These,  like  moccasons,  were  made  of  a  single  piece  of  leather,  with 
the  exception  of  a  tongue  piece  on  the  top  of  the  foot,  which  was 
about  two  inches  broad  and  circular  at  lower  end,  and  to  which  the 
main  piece  of  leather  was  sewed  with  a  gathering  stitch.  The  seam 
behind  was  like  that  of  a  moccason,  and  a  sole  was  sometimes  added. 
The  women  did  the  tailor  work.  They  could  all  cut  out  and  make 
hunting  shirts,  leggins  and  drawers. 

The  state  of  society  which  existed  in  our  country  at  an  early 
period  of  its  settlement,  was  well  calculated  to  call  into  action 
every  native  mechanical  genius.  There  was  in  almost  every 
neighborhood,  some  one  whose  natural  ingenuity  enabled  him  to 
do  many  things  for  himself  and  neighbors,  far  above  what  could 
have  been  reasonably  expected.  With  the  very  few  tools  which 
they  brought  with  them  into  the  country,  the}-  certainly  performed 
wonders.  Their  plows,  harrows  with  their  wooden  teeth,  and 
sleds,  were  in  many  instances  well  made.  Their  cooper-ware, 
which  comprehended  everything  for  holding  milk  and  water, 
was  generally  pretty  well  executed.  The  cedar-ware,  by  having 
alternately  a  white  and  red  stave,  was  then  thought  beauti- 
ful. Many  of  their  puncheon  floors  were  very  neat,  their 
joints  close,  and  the  top  even  and  smooth.  Their  looms,  although 
heavy,  did  very  well.  Those  who  could  not  exercise  the  me- 
chanic arts  were  under  the  necessity  of  giving  labor  or  barter  to 
their  neighbors  in  exchange  for  the  use  of  them,  so  far  as  their  ne- 
cessities required. 

An  old  man  in  my  father's  neighborhood  had  the  art  of  turning 
bowls,  from  the  knots  of  trees,  particularly  those  of  the  ash.  In 
what  way  he  did  it  I  do  not  know,  or  whether  there  was  much  mys- 
tery in  his  art.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  old  man's  skill  was  in  great 
request,  as  well-turned  wooden  bowls  were  among  our  first-rate 
articles  of  household  furniture. 

My  brothers  and  myself  once  undertook  to  procure  a  fine  suit  of 
these  bowls  made  of  the  best  wood,  the  ash.    We  gathered  all  \ye 


MECHANIC  ARTS. 


277 


could  find  on  our  father's  land,  and  took  them  to  the  artist,  who 
was  to  give,  as  the  saying  was,  one-half  for  the  other.  He  put  the 
knots  in  a  branch  before  the  door,  when  a  freshet  came  and  swept 
them  all  away,  not  one  of  them  being  ever  found.  This  was  a 
dreadful  misfortune.  Our  anticipation  of  an  elegant  display  of  new 
bowls  was  utterly  blasted  in  a  moment,  as  the  poor  old  man  was  not 
able  to  repair  our  loss  nor  any  part  of  it. 

My  father  possessed  a  mechanical  genius  of  the  highest  order, 
and  necessity,  which  is  the  mother  of  invention,  occasioned  the  full 
exercise  of  his  talents.  His  farming  utensils  were  the  best  in  the 
neighborhood.  After  making  his  loom  he  often  used  it  as  a  weaver. 
All  the  shoes  belonging  to  the  family  were  made  by  himself.  He 
always  spun  his  own  shoe-thread,  saying  that  no  woman  could 
spin  shoe-thread  as  well  as  he  could.  His  cooper-ware  was  made  b}^ 
himself.  I  have  seen  him  make  a  small,  neat  kind  of  wooden-ware, 
called  set  work,  in  which  the  staves  were  all  attached  to  the  bottom 
of  the  vessel,  by  means  of  a  groove  cut  in  them  by  a  strong  clasp- 
knife  and  small  chisel,  before  a  single  hoop  was  put  on.  He  was 
sufficiently  the  carpenter  to  build  the  best  kind  of  houses  then  in 
use,  that  is  to  say,  first  a  cabin,  and  afterwards  the  hewed  log- 
house,  with  a  shingled  roof.  In  the  latter  years  he  became  sickly, 
and  not  being  able  to  labor,  he  amused  himself  with  tolerably  good 
imitations  of  cabinet  work. 

Not  possessing  sufiicient  health  for  service  on  the  scouts  and 
campaigns,  his  duty  was  that  of  repairing  the  rifles  of  his  neighbors 
when  they  needed  it.  In  this  business  he  manifested  a  high  degree 
of  ingenuity.  A  small  depression  on  the  surface  of  a  stump  or  log, 
and  a  wooden  mallet,  were  his  instruments  for  straightening  the 
gun  barrel  when  crooked.  Without  the  aid  of  a  bow-string  he  could 
discover  the  smallest  bend  in  a  barrel,  and  with  a  bit  of  steel  he 
could  make  a  saw  for  deepening  the  furrows  when  requisite.  A  few 
shots  determined  whether  the  gun  might  be  trusted. 

Although  he  never  had  been  more  than  six  week  at  school,  he 
was  nevertheless  a  first-rate  penman  and  a  good  arithmetician.  His 
penmanship  was  of  great  service  to  his  neighbors  in  writing  letters, 
bonds,  deeds  of  conveyance,  &c. 

Young  as  I  was,  I  was  possessed  of  an  art  which  was  of  great 
use,  viz  ;  that  of  weaving  shot  pouch  straps,  belts  and  garters.  I 
could  make  my  loom  and  weave  my  belt  in  less  than  one  day.  Having 
a  piece  of  board  about  four  feet  long,  an  inch  auger,  spike  gimlet, 
and  a  drawing  knife,  I  needed  no  other  tools  or  materials  for  making 
my  loom. 

It  frequently  happened  that  my  weaving  proved  serviceable  to 
the  family,  as  I  often  sold  a  belt  for  a  day's  work,  or  making  an 
hundred  rails  ;  so  that  although  a  boy,  I  could  exchange  my  labor 
for  that  of  a  full  grown  person  for  an  equal  length  of  time. 


278 


MEDICINE. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

MEDICINE. 

This  among  a  rude  and  illiterate  people  consisted  mostly  of  speci- 
fics. As  far  as  I  can  recollect  them,  they  shall  be  enumerated,  to- 
gether with  the  diseases  for  which  they  were  used. 

The  diseases  of  children  were  mostly  ascribed  to  worms  ;  for  the 
expulsion  of  which  a  solution  of  common  salt  was  given,  and  the 
dose  ways  always  large.  I  well  remember  having  been  compelled 
to  take  half  a  table  spoonful  when  quite  small.  To  the  best  of  my 
recollection  it  generally  answered  the  purpose. 

Scrapings  of  pewter  spoons  was  another  remedy  for  the  worms. 
This  dose  was  also  large,  amounting,  I  should  think,  from  twenty 
to  forty  grains.    It  was  commonly  given  in  sugar. 

Sulphate  of  iron,  or  green  copperas,  was  a  third  remedy  for  the 
worms.  The  dose  of  this  w^as  also  larger  than  we  should  venture  to 
give  at  this  time. 

For  burns,  a  poultice  of  Indian  meal  was  a  common  remedy. 
A  poultice  of  scraped  potatoes  was  also  a  favorite  remedy  with  some 
people.  Roasted  turnips,  made  into  a  poultice,  was  used  by 
others.  Slippery  elm  bark  was  often  used  in  the  same  way.  I 
do  not  recollect  that  any  internal  remedy  or  bleeding  was  ever  used 
for  burns. 

The  croup,  or  what  was  then  called  the  ''bold  hives,"  was  a 
common  disease  among  the  children,  many  of  them  died  of  it.  For 
the  cure  of  this,  the  juice  of  roasted  onions  or  garlic  was  given  in 
large  doses.  Wall  ink  was  also  a  favorite  remedy  with  many  of  the 
old  ladies.  For  fever,  sweating  was  the  general  remedy.  This 
was  generally  performed  by  means  of  a  strong  decoction  of  Virginia 
snake  root.  The  dose  was  always  very  large.  If  a  purge  was  used, 
it  was  about  a  half  a  pint  of  a  strong  decoction  of  walnut  bark. 
This,  when  intended  for  a  purge,  was  peeled  downwards  ;  if  for  a 
vomit,  it  was  peeled  upwards.  Indian  physics,  or.  bowman  root,  a 
species  of  ipecacuanha,  was  frequently  used  for  a  vomit,  and  some- 
times the  pocoon  or  blood  root. 

For  the  bite  of  a  rattle  or  copper-snake,  a  great  variety  of  speci- 
fics were  used.  I  remember  when  a  small  boy  to  have  seen  a  man, 
bitten  by  a  rattle-snake,  brought  into  the  Fort  on  a  man's  back. 
One  of  the  company  dragged  the  snake  after  him  by  a  forked  stick 
fastened  to  its  head.    The  body  of  the  snake  was  cut  into  pieces  of 


MEDICINE. 


279 


about  two  inches  in  length,  split  open  in  succession,  and  laid  on  the 
wound  to  draw  out  the  poison,  as  they  expressed  it.  When  this 
was  over,  a  fire  was  kindled  in  the  Fort  and  the  whole  of  the  serpent 
burnt  to  ashes,  by  way  of  revenge  for  the  injury  he  had  done. 
After  this  process  was  over,  a  large  quantity  of  chestnut  leaves  was 
collected  and  boiled  in  a  pot.  The  whole  of  the  wounded  man's  leg 
and  part  of  his  thigh  were  placed  in  a  piece  of  chestnut  bark,  fresh 
from  the  tree,  and  the  decoction  was  poured  on  the  leg  so  as  to  run 
down  into  the  pot  again.  After  continuing  this  process  for  some 
time,  a  quantity  of  the  boiled  leaves  were  bound  to  the  leg. 
This  was  repeated  several  times  a  day.  The  man  got  well  ;  but 
whether  owing  to  the  treatment  bestowed  on  his  wound,  is  not  so 
certain. 

A  number  of  native  plants  were  used  for  the  cure  of  snake 
bites.  Among  them  the  white  planton  held  a  high  rank.  This 
was  boiled  in  milk,  and  the  decoction  given  the  patient  in  large 
quantities.  A  kind  of  fern,  which,  from  its  resemblance  to  the 
leaves  of  the  walnut,  was  called  walnut  fern,  was  another  remedy. 
A  plant  with  fibrous  roots,  resembling  the  Seneca  snake  root,  of  a 
black  color,  and  a  strong  but  not  disagreeable  smell,  was  considered 
and  relied  on  as  the  Indian  specific  for  the  cure  of  the  sting  of  a 
snake.  A  decoction  of  this  root  was  also  used  for  the  cure  of  colds. 
Another  plant,  which  very  much  resembles  the  one  above  mentioned, 
but  which  is  violently  poisonous,  was  sometimes  mistaken  for  it  and 
used  in  its  place.  I  knew  two  young  women,  who,  in  consequence  of 
being  bitten  by  rattle-snakes,  used  the  poisonous  plant  instead  of 
the  other,  and  nearly  lost  their  lives  by  the  mistake.  The  roots 
were  applied  to  the  legs  in  the  form  of  a  poultice.  The  violent 
burning  and  swelling  occasioned  by  the  inflammation  discovered  the 
mistake  in  time  to  prevent  them  from  taking  any  of  the  docoction, 
which,  had  they  done,  would  have  been  instantly  fatal.  It  was 
with  difiiculty  that  the  part  to  which  the  poultice  was  applied 
was  saved  from  mortification,  so  that  the  remedy  was  worse  than 
the  disease. 

Cupping,  sucking  the  wound,  and  making  deep  incisions  which 
were  filled  with  salt  and  gun-powder,  were  also  among  the  reme- 
dies for  snake  bites. 

It  does  not  appear  to  me  that  any  of  the  internal  remedies, 
used  by  the  Indians  and  the  first  settlers  of  this  country,  were  well 
adapted  for  the  cure  of  the  disease  occasioned  b}^  the  bite  of  a  snake 
The  poison  of  a  snake,  like  that  of  a  bee  or  a  wasp,  must  consist  of 
a  highly  concenerated  and  very  poisonous  acid,  which  instantly 
inflames  the  parts  to  which  it  is  applied.  That  any  substance  what- 
ever can  act  as  a  specific  for  the  decomposition  of  this  poison,  seems 
altogether  doubtful.  The  cure  of  the  fever  occasioned  by  this  ani- 
mal poison,  must  be  effected  with  reference  to  those  general  indica- 
tions which  are  regarded  in  the  cure  of  other  fevers  with  equal 
force.    The  internal  remedies  alluded  to,  so  far  as  I  am  acquainted 


28o 


MEDICINE. 


with  them,  are  possessed  of  little  or  no  medical  efficacy.  They  are 
not  emetics,  cathartics,  or  sudorifics.  What  then  ?  They  are 
harmless  substances,  which  do  wonders  in  all  those  cases  in  which 
there  is  nothing  to  be  done. 

The  truth  is,  the  bite  of  the  rattle  or  copper-snake,  in  a  fleshy 
or  tendinous  part,  where  the  blood-vessels  are  neither  numerous 
or  large,  soon  healed  under  any  kind  of  treatment.  But  when 
the  fangs  of  the  serpent,  whicn  are  hollow,  and  eject  the  poison 
through  an  orifice  near  the  points,  penetrate  a  blood-vessel  of  any 
considerable  size,  a  malignant  and  incurable  fever  was  generally 
the  immediate  consequence,  and  the  patient  often  expired  in  the  first 
paroxysm. 

The  same  observations  appl,v  to  the  effects  of  the  bite  of  ser- 
j  ents  when  inflicted  on  beasts.  Horses  were  frequently  killed  by 
them,  as  they  were  commonly  bitten  somewhere  about  the  nose, 
in  which  the  blood-vessels  are  numerous  and  large.  I  once  saw 
a  horse  die  of  the  bite  of  a  rattle-snake  ;  the  blood  for  some  time 
before  he  expired  exuded  in  great  quantities  through  the  pores  of 
the  skin. 

Cattle  were  less  frequently  killed,  because  their  noses  are  of  a 
grizly  texture,  and  less  furnished  with  blood-vessels  than  those  of  a 
horse.  Dogs  were  sometimes  bitten,  and  being  naturally  physicians, 
they  commonl}^  s.cratched  a  hole  in  some  damp  place,  and  held  the 
wounded  part  in  the  ground  till  the  inflammation  abated.  Hogs, 
when  in  tolerable  order,  were  never  hurt  by  them,  owing  to  the 
thick  substratum  of  fat  between  the  skin,  muscular  flesh,  and  blood- 
vessels. The  hog  generally  took  immediate  revenge  for  the  injury 
done  him,  by  instantly  tearing  to  pieces  and  devouring  the  serpent 
which  inflicted  it. 

The  itch,  which  was  a  very  common  disease  in  early  times, 
was  commonly  cured  by  an  ointment  made  of  brimstone  and  hog's 
lard. 

Gun-shot  and  other  wounds  were  treated  with  slippery-elm  bark, 
flaxseed,  and  other  such  poultices.  Many  lost  their  lives  from 
wounds  which  w^ould  now  be  considered  trifling  and  easily  cured. 
The  use  of  the  lancet,  and  other  means  of  depletion,  in  the  treat- 
ment of  wounds,  constituted  no  part  of  their  cure  in  this  country,  in 
early  times. 

My  mother  died  in  early  life  of  a  wound  from  the  tread  of  a 
horse,  which  any  person  in  the  habit  of  letting  blood  might  have 
cured  by  two  or  three  bleedings,  without  any  other  remedy.  The 
wound  was  poulticed  with  spikenard  root,  and  soon  terminated  in  an 
extensive  mortification. 

Most  of  the  men  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  country  were  af- 
fected with  the  rheumatism.  For  relief  from  this  disease  the  hun- 
ters generally  slept  with  their  feet  to  the  fire.  From  this  practice 
they  certainly  derived  much  advantage.    The  oil  of  rattle-snakes, 


MEDICINE. 


281 


geese,  wolves,  bears,  raccoons,  ground-hogs,  and  pole-cats,  was  ap- 
plied to  the  swelled  joints,  and  bathed  in  before  the  fire. 

The  pleurisy  was  the  onl}^  disease  which  w^as  supposed  to  re- 
quire blood  letting?  but  in  many  cases  a  bleeder  was  not  in  the 
section. 

Coughs  and  pulmonary  consumption,  were  treated  with  a 
great  variety  of  syrups,  the  principal  ingredients  of  which  were 
spikenard  and  elecampane.  The  syrups  certainly  gave  but  little 
relief. 

Charms  and  incantations  were  in  use  for  the  cure  of  many  dis- 
eases. I  learned,  when  young,  the  incantation,  in  German,  for  the 
cure  of  burns,  stopping  blood,  tooth-ache,  and  the  charm  against 
bullets  in  battle  ;  but  for  the  w^ant  of  faith  in  their  efficacy,  I  never 
used  any  of  them. 

The  erysipelas,  or  St.  Anthony's  fire,  was  circumscribed  hy  the 
blood  of  a  black  cat.  Hence  there  was  scarcely  a  black  cat  to  be 
seen,  whose  ears  and  tail  had  not  been  frequentl}^  cropped  off  for  a 
contribution  of  blood. 

Whether  the  medical  profession  is  productive  of  most  good  or 
harm,  may  still  be  a  matter  of  dispute  with  some  philosophers,  who 
never  saw  any  condition  of  society  in  which  there  were  no  physi- 
cians, and  therefore  could  not  be  furnished  with  a  proper  test  for 
deciding  the  question.  Had  an  unbeliever  in  the  healing  art  been 
among  the  earl}^  inhabitants  of  this  country,  he  would  have  been  in 
a  proper  situation  to  witness  the  consequences  of  the  want  of  the  ex- 
ercises of  the  art.  For  many  years  in  succession  there  was  no  per- 
son who  bore  even  the  name  of  a  doctor  within  a  considerable  dis- 
tance of  the  residence  of  mj^  father. 

For  the  honor  of  the  medical  profession  I  must  give  it  as  my 
opinion,  that  many  of  our  people  perished  for  want  of  medical  skill 
and  attention. 

The  pleurisy  was  the  only  disease  which  was,  in  any  consid- 
erable degree,  understood  by  our  people.  A  pain  in  the  side 
called  for  the  use  of  the  lancet,  if  there  was  any  to  be  had  ;  but 
owang  to  its  sparing  use,  the  patient  was  apt  to  be  left  with  a 
spitting  of  blood,  which  sometimes  ended  in  consumption.  A 
great  number  of  children  died  with  the  croup.  Remittent  and 
intermittent  fevers  were  treated  with  warm  drinks  for  the  pur- 
pose of  sweating,  and  the  patients  were  denied  the  use  of  cold 
water  and  fresh  air ;  consequently  many  of  them  died.  Of  those 
who  escaped,  not  a  few  died  afterwards  of  the  dropsy  or  consump- 
tion, or  were  left  with  paralytic  limbs.  Deaths  in  childbed  were 
not  unfrequent.  Many,  no  doubt,  died  of  the  bite  of  the  serpent,  in 
consequence  of  an  improper  reliance  on  specifics  possessed  of  no 
medical  virtue. 

My  father  died  of  an  hepatic  complaint,  at  the  age  of  about 
forty-six.    He  had  labored  under  it  for  thirteen  years.    The  fever 

36 


282 


MEDICINE. 


which  accompanied  it  was  called  the  ' '  dumb  ague, ' '  and  the  swel- 
ling in  the  region  of  the  liver,  '  *  the  ague  cake. ' '  The  abscess 
burst,  and  discharged  a  large  quantity  of  matter,  which  put  a  period 
to  his  life  in  about  thirty  hours  after  the  discharge. 

Thus  I,  for  one  may  say,  that  in  all  human  probability  I  lost 
both  my  parents  for  want  of  medical  aid. 


SPORTS. 


283 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
SPORTS. 

These  were  such  as  might  be  expected  among  a  people,  who, 
owing  to  their  circumstances  as  well  as  education,  set  a  higher  value 
on  physical  than  on  mental  endowments,  and  on  skill  in  hunting  and 
bravery  in  war,  than  on  any  polite  accomplishments  of  fine  arts. 

Amusements  are,  in  many  instances,  either  imitations  of  the 
business  of  life,  or  at  least  of  some  of  its  particular  objects  of  pur- 
suits. On  the  part  of  young  men  belonging  to  nations  in  a  state  of 
warfare,  many  amusements  are  regarded  as  preparations  for  the 
military  character  which  they  are  expected  to  sustain  in  future  life. 
Thus  the  war-dance  of  savages  is  a  pantomime  of  their  stratagems 
and  horrid  deeds  of  cruelty  in  war,  and  the  exhibition  prepares  the 
minds  of  their  young  men  for  a  participation  in  the  bloody  trage- 
dies which  they  represent.  Dancing,  among  civilized  people,  is 
regarded,  not  only  as  an  amusement  suited  to  the  youthful  period 
of  human  life,  but  as  a  means  of  inducing  urbanity  of  manners 
and  a  good  personal  deportment  in  public.  Horse  racing  is  re- 
garded by  the  statesman  as  a  preparation,  in  various  ways,  for 
the  equestrian  department  of  warfare ;  it  is  said  that  the  English 
government  never  possessed  a  good  cavalry,  until  by  the  en- 
couragement given  to  public  races,  their  breed  of  horses  was  im- 
proved. Games,  in  which  there  is  a  mixture  of  chance  and  skill, 
are  said  to  improve  the  understanding  in  mathematical  and  other 
calculations. 

Many  of  the  sports  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  country  were 
imitative  of  the  exercises  and  stratagems  of  hunting  and  war.  Boys 
are  taught  the  use  of  the  bow  and  arrow  at  an  early  age  ;  but  al- 
though they  acquired  considerable  adroitness  in  the  use  of  them,  so 
as  to  kill  a  bird  or  squirrel  sometimes,  yet  it  appears  that  in  the 
hands  of  the  white  people,  the  bow  and  arrow  could  never  be  de- 
pended upon  for  warfare  or  hunting,  unless  made  and  managed  in  a 
different  manner  from  any  specimens  of  them  which  I  ever  saw. 

In  ancient  times,  the  bow  and  arrow  must  have  been  deadly  in- 
struments in  the  hands  of  the  barbarians  of  our  country  ;  but  I  much 
doubt  whether  any  of  the  present  tribe  of  Indians  could  make  much 
use  of  the  flint  arrow  heads,  which  must  have  been  so  generally 
used  by  their  forefathers. 

Firearms,  wherever  they  can  be  obtained,  soon  put  an  end  to 


284  SPORTS. 

the  use  of  the  bow  and  arrow ;  but  independently  of  this  circum- 
stance, military,  as  well  as  other  arts,  sometimes  grew  out  of  date 
and  vanish  from  the  world.  Many  centuries  have  elapsed*  since  the 
world  has  witnessed  the  destructiye  accuracy  of  the  Benjaminites 
in  their  use  of  the  sling  and  stone  ;  nor  does  it  appear  to  me 
that  a  dimination,  in  the  size  and  strength  of  the  aboriginals  of 
this  country,  has  occasioned  a  decrease  of  accuracy  and  effect  in 
their  use  of  the  bow  and  arrow.  From  all  the  ancient  skeletons 
which  have  come  under  my  notice,  it  does  not  appear  that  this  sec- 
tion of  the  globe  was  ever  inhabited  by  a  larger  race  of  human 
beings  than  that  which  possessed  it  at  the  time  of  its  discovery  by 
the  Europeans. 

One  important  pastime  of  our  boys  was  that  of  imitating  the 
noise  of  every  bird  and  beast  in  the  woods.  This  faculty  was  not 
merely  a  pastime,  but  a  very  necessary  part  of  education,  on  account 
of  its  utility  in  certain  circumstances.  The  imitations  of  the  gob- 
bling and  other  sounds  of  wild  turkeys,  often  brought  those  keen- 
eyed  and  ever  watchful  tenants  of  the  forest  within  reach  of  the 
rifle.  The  bleating  of  the  fawn  brought  its  dam  to  her  death  in  the 
same  way.  The  hunter  often  collected  a  company  of  mopish  owls  to 
the  trees  about  his  camp ;  and  while  he  amused  himself  with  their 
hoarse  screaming,  his  howl  would  raise  and  obtain  responses  from  a 
pack  of  wolves,  so  as  to  inform  him  of  their  neighborhood,  as  well  as 
guard  him  against  their  depredations. 

This  imitative  faculty  was  sometimes  requisite  as  a  measure  of 
precaution  in  war.  The  Indians,  when  scattered  about  in  a  neigh- 
borhood, often  collected  together,  by  imitating  the  turkeys  by  day, 
and  wolves  or  owls  by  night.  In  similar  situations  our  people  did 
the  same.  I  have  often  witnessed  the  consternation  of  a  whole 
neighborhood  in  consequence  of  a  few  screeches  of  owls.  An  early 
and  correct  use  of  this  imitative  faculty  was  considered  as  an  indica- 
tion that  its  possessor  would  become  in  due  time  a  good  hunter  and 
a  valiant  warrior. 

Throwing  the  tomahawk  was  another  boyish  sport,  in  which 
many  acquired  considerable  skill.  The  tomahawk,  with  its  handle 
of  a  certain  length,  will  make  a  given  number  or  turns  in  a  given  dis- 
tance. Say  at  five  steps,  it  will  strike  with  the  edge,  the  handle 
downwards  ;  at  the  distance  of  seven  and-a-half  steps,  it  will  strike 
with  the  edge,  the  handle  upwards  ;  and  so  on.  A  little  experience 
enabled  the  boy  to  measure  the  distance  with  his  eye,  when  walking 
through  the  woods,  and  strike  a  tree  with  his  tomahawk  in  any  way 
he  choose. 

The  athletic  sports  of  running,  jumping  and  wrestling,  were  the 
pastime  of  boys,  in  common  with  the  men. 

A  well-grown  boy,  at  the  age  of  twelve  or  thirteen  years,  was 
furnished  with  a  small  rifle  and  shot  pouch.  He  then  became  a 
Fort  soldier,  and  had  his  port-hole  assigned  him.  Hunting  squirrels, 
turkeys  and  raccoons  soon  made  him  expert  in  the  use  of  his  gun. 


'  SPORTS. 


285 


Dancing  was  the  principal  amusement  of  our  young  people  of 
both  sexes.  Their  dances,  to  be  sure,  were  of  the  simplest  forms — 
three  and  four  handed  reels  and  jigs.  Contra-dances,  cotilions  and 
minuets,  were  unknown.  I  remember  to  have  seen,  once  or  twice, 
a  dance  which  was  called  **  The  IrLsh  Trot ;"  but  I  have  long  since 
forgotten  the  figure. 

Shooting  at  marks  was  a  common  diversion  among  the  men, 
when  their  stock  of  ammunition  would  allow  it,  which,  however, 
was  far  from  being  always  the  case.  The  present  mode  of  shooting 
off-hand  was  not  then  in  practice ;  it  was  not  considered  as  any  trial 
of  the  value  of  the  gun,  nor  indeed  as  much  a  test  of  the  skill  of  a 
marksman.  Their  shooting  was  from  a  rest,  and  at  as  great  a  dis- 
tance as  the  length  and  weight  of  a  barrel  of  the  gun  would  throw  a 
ball  on  a  horizontal  level.  Such  was  their  regard  to  accuracy,  in 
those  sportive  trials  of  their  rifles,  and  of  their  own  skill  in  the  use 
of  them,  that  they  often  put  moss,  or  some  other  soft  substance  on  a 
log  or  stump  from  which  they  shot,  for  fear  of  having  the  bullet 
thrown  from  the  mark,  by  the  spring  of  the  barrel.  When  the  rifle 
was  held  to  the  side  of  a  tree  for  a  rest,  it  was  pressed  against  it  as 
lightly  as  possible  for  the  same  reason. 

Rifles  of  former  times  were  different  from  those  of  modern 
date  ;  few  of  them  carried  more  than  forty-five  bullets  to  the  pound, 
and  bullets  of  a  less  size  were  not  thought  sufficiently  heavy  for 
huntmg  or  war. 

Dramatic  narrations,  chiefly  concerning  Jack  and  the  Giant, 
furnished  our  young  people  with  another  source  of  amusement  dur- 
ing their  leisure  hours.  Many  of  those  tales  were  lengthy,  and  em- 
braced a  considerable  range  of  incident.  Jack,  always  the  hero  of 
the  story,  after  encountering  many  difficulties,  and  performing  many 
great  achievements,  came  off  conqueror  of  the  Giant.  Most  of  those 
stories  were  tales  of  knight-errantry,  in  which  some  captive  virgin 
was  released  from  captivity  and  restored  to  her  lover. 

These  dramatic  narrations  concerning  Jack  and  the  Giant  bore 
a  strong  resemblance  to  the  poems  of  Ossian,  the  story  of  the  Cy- 
clops and  Ulysses  in  the  Odyssey  of  Homer,  and  the  tale  of  the  Giant 
and  Great-heart  in  the  Pilgrim's  Progress,  and  were  so  arranged  as 
to  the  different  incidents  of  the  narration,  that  they  were  easily  com- 
mitted to  memory.  They  certainly  have  been  handed  down  from 
generation  to  generation  from  time  immemorial.  Civilization  has 
indeed  banished  the  use  of  these  ancient  tales  of  romantic  heroism  ; 
but  what  then  ?  It  has  substituted  in  their  place  the  novel  and 
romance. 

It  is  thus  that  in  every  state  of  society  the  imagination  of  man 
is  eternally  at  war  with  reason  and  truth.  That  fiction  should  be  ac- 
ceptable to  an  unenlightened  people  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  as  the 
treasures  ot  truth  has  never  been  unfolded  to  their  mind  ;  but  that 
a  civilized  people  themselves  should,  in  so  many  instances,  like 
barbarians,  prefer  the  fairy  regions  of  fiction  to  the  august  treasures 


286 


SPORTS. 


of  truth,  developed  in  the  sciences  of  theology,  history,  natural  and 
moral  philosopy,  is  truly  a  sarcasm  on  human  nature.  It  is  as  much 
as  to  say,  that  it  is  essential  to  our  amusement,  that,  for  the  time 
being,  we  must  suspend  the  exercise  of  reason,  and  submit  to  a  vol- 
untary deception. 

Singing  was  another  but  not  very  common  amusement  among 
our  first  settlers.  The  tunes  were  rude  enough,  to  be  sure.  Robin 
Hood  furnished  a  number  of  our  songs ;  the  balance  were  mostly 
tragical,  and  were  denominated  love  songs  about  murder."  As 
to  cards,  dice,  backgammon,  and  other  games  of  chance,  we  knew 
nothing  about  them.  These  are  among  the  blessed  gifts  of 
civilization. 


WITCHCRAFT. 


287 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
WITCHCRAFT. 

T  shall  not  be  lengthy  on  this  subject.  The  belief  in  Witch- 
craft was  prevalent  among  the  early  settlers  of  the  western  country. 
To  the  witch  was  ascribed  the  tremendous  power  of  inflicting  strange 
and  incurable  diseases,  particularly  on  children,  of  destroying  cattle 
by  shooting  them  with  hair  balls,  and  a  great  variety  of  other  means 
of  destruction,  of  inflicting  spells  and  curses  on  guns  and  other 
things,  and  lastly,  of  changing  men  into  horses,  and  often  bridling 
and  saddling  them,  riding  them  in  full  speed  over  hill  and  dale  to 
their  frolics  and  other  places  of  rendezvous.  More  ample  powers  of 
mischief  than  these  cannot  be  imagined. 

Wizards  were  men  supposed  to  be  possessed  of  the  same  mis- 
chievous powers  as  the  witches  ;  but  it  was  seldom  exercised  for  bad 
purposes.  The  power  of  the  wizards  was  exercised  almost  exclu- 
sively for  the  purpose  of  counteracting  the  malevolent  influence  of 
the  witches  of  the  other  sex.  I  have  known  several  of  these  witch- 
masters,  as  they  were  called,  who  made  a  public  profession  of 
curing  these  diseases  inflicted  by  the  influence  of  witches ;  and  I 
have  known  respectable  physicians,  who  had  no  greater  portion  of 
business  in  their  line  of  their  professions,  than  many  of  those  witch- 
masters  had  in  theirs. 

The  means  by  which  the  witch  was  supposed  to  inflict  diseases, 
curses  and  spelis,  I  never  could  learn.  They  were  occult  sciences, 
which  no  one  was  supposed  to  understand  excepting  the  witch  her- 
self, and  no  wonder,  as  no  such  arts  ever  existed  in  any  country. 

The  diseases  of  children,  supposed  to  be  inflicted  by  withcraft, 
were  those  of  the  internal  dropsy  of  the^brain,  and  the  rickts.  The 
symptoms  and  cure  of  these  destructive  diseases  were  utterly  un- 
known in  former  times  in  this  country.  Diseases  which  neither 
could  be  accounted  for  nor  cured,  were  usually  ascribed  to  some 
supernatural  agency  of  a  malignant  kind. 

For  the  cure  of  diseases  inflicted  by  witchcraft,  the  picture  of 
the  supposed  witch  was  drawn  on  a  stump  or  piece  of  board,  and 
shot  at  with  a  bullet  containing  a  little  bit  of  silver.  This  bullet 
transferred  a  painful  and  sometimes  a  mortal  spell  on  that  part  of 
the  witch  corresponding  with  the  part  of  the  portrait  struck  by  the 
bullet.    Another  method  of  cure  was  that  of  getting  some  of  the 


288 


WITCHCRAFT. 


child's  water,  which  was  closely  corked  up  in  a  vial  and  hung  np  in 
a  chimney.  This  complimented  the  witch  with  a  stranguary,  which 
lasted  as  long  as  the  vial  remained  in  the  chimney.  The  witch  had 
but  one  way  of  relieving  herself  from  any  spell  inflicted  on  her  in 
any  way,  which  was  that  of  borrowing  something,  no  matter  what, 
of  the  family  to  which  the  subject  of  the  exercise  of  her  witchcraft 
belonged. 

I  have  known  several  poor  old  v;omen  much  surprised  at  being 
refused  requests  v^^hich  had  usually  been  granted  without  hesi- 
tation, and  almost  heart  broken  when  informed  of  the  cause  of  the 
refusal. 

When  cattle  or  dogs  were  supposed  to  be  under  the  influ- 
ence of  witchcraft,  they  were  burned  in  the  forehead  by  a  branding 
iron,  or  when  dead,  burned  wholly  to  ashes.  This  inflicted  a  spell 
upon  the  witch  which  could  only  be  removed  by  borrowing,  as  above 
stated. 

Witches  were  often  said  to  milk  the  cows  of  their  neighbors. 
This  they  did  b}^  fixing  a  new  pin  in  a  new  towel  for  each  cow  in- 
tended to  be  milked.  This  towel  was  hung  over  her  own  door,  and 
by  means  of  certain  incantations,  the  milk  was  extracted  from  the 
fringes  of  the  towel  after  the  m^anner  of  milking  a  cow.  This  hap- 
pened when  cows  were  too  poor  to  give  much  milk. 

The  first  German  glass-blower  in  this  country  drove  the  witches 
out  of  their  furnaces  by  throwing  living  puppies  into  them. 

The  greater  or  ICvSS  amount  of  belief  in  witchcraft,  necromancy 
and  astrology,  serves  to  show  the  relative  amount  of  philosophical 
science  in  our  countr3\  Ignorance  is  always  associated  with  super- 
stition, which,  when  presented  an  endless  variety  of  sources  of 
hope  and  fear,  with  regard  to  the  good  and  bad  fortunes  of  life,  keep 
the  benighted  mind  continually  harrassed  with  groundless  and  delu- 
siveness, but  strong  and  often  deeply  distressing  impressions  of  a 
false  faith.  For  the  disease  of  the  mind  there  is  no  cure  but  that  of 
philosophy.  This  science  shows  to  the  enlightened  reason  of  man, 
that  no  effect  whatever  can  be  produced  in  the  physical  world  with- 
out a  corresponding  cause.  This  science  announces  that  the  death 
bell  is  but  a  momentary  morbid  motion  of  the  nerves  of  the  ear,  and 
the  death  watch,  the  noise  of  a  bug  in  the  wall,  and  that  the  howl- 
ing of  the  dog,  and  the  croaking  of  the  raven,  are  but  the  natural 
languages  of  the  beast  and  fowl,  and  in  no  way  prophetic  of  the 
death  of  the  sick.  The  comet,  which  used  to  shake  pestilence  and 
war  from  its  fiery  train,  is  now  viewed  with  as  little  emotion  as  the 
movements  of  Jupiter  and  Saturn  in  their  respective  orbits. 

An  eclipse  of  the  sun,  and  an  unusual  freshet  at  the  Tiber, 
shortly  after  the  assassination  of  Julius  Caesar  by  Cassius  and  Brut- 
us, threw  the  whole  of  the  Roman  empire  into  consternation.  It 
was  supposed  that  all  the  gods  of  heaven  and  earth  were  enraged, 
and  about  to  take  revenge  for  the  murder  of  the  emperor ;  but 
since  the  science  of  astronomy  foretells  in  the  calendar  the  time  and 


WITCHCRAFT. 


289 


extent  of  the  eclipse,  the  phenomenon,  is  not  viewed  as  a  miraculous 
and  portentous,  but  as  a  common  and  natural  event. 

That  the  pythoness  and  wizard  of  the  Hebrews,  the  monthly 
soothsayers,  astrologers  and  prognosticators  of  the  Chaldeans,  and 
the  sybils  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  were  mercenary  imposters, 
there  can  be  no  doubt. 

To  say  that  the  pythoness,  and  all  others  of  her  class,  were 
aided  in  their  operations  by  the  intervention  of  familiar  spirits,  does 
not  mend  the  matter ;  for  spirits,  whether  good  or  bad,  possess  not 
the  power  of  life  and  death,  health  and  disease,  with  regard  to  man 
and  beast.  Pre-science  is  an  incommunicable  attribute  of  God,  and 
therefore  spirits  cannot  foretell  future  events. 

The  afflictions  of  Job,  through  the  intervention  of  Satan,  were 
miraculous.  The  possessions  mentioned  in  the  New  Testament,  in 
all  human  probability,  were  maniacal  diseases,  and  if,  at  their  cures, 
the  supposed  evil  spirit  spoke  with  an  audible  voice,  these  events 
were  also  miraculous,  and  effected  for  a  special  purpose.  But  from 
miracles,  no  general  conclusion  can  be  drawn  with  regard  to  the  di- 
vine government  of  the  world. 

The  conclusion  is,  that  the  powers  professed  to  be  exercised  by 
the  occult  science  of  necromancy  and  other  arts  of  divination,  were 
neither  more  nor  less  than  impostures. 

Among  the  Hebrews,  the  profession  of  arts  of  divination  was 
thought  deserving  of  capital  punishment,  because  the  profession  was 
of  Pagan  origin,  and  of  course  incompatible  with  the  profession  of 
theism,  and  a  theocratic  form  of  government.  These  jugglers  per- 
petrated a  debasing  superstition  among  the  people.  They  were  also 
swindlers,  who  divested  their  neighbors  of  large  sums  of  money  and 
valuable  presents  without  an  equivalent. 

On  the  ground  then  of  fraud  alone,  according  to  the  genius  of 
the  criminal  codes  of  the  ancient  governments,  the  offense  deser\'ed 
capital  punishment. 

But  is  the  present  time  better  than  the  past  with  regard  to  a 
superstitious  belief  in  occult  influences  ?  Do  no  trace  of  the  poly- 
theism of  our  forefathers  remain  among  their  christian  descendants  ? 
The  inquiry  must  be  answered  in  the  affirmative.  Should  an  al- 
manac-maker venture  to  give  out  the  christian  calendar  without  the 
column  containing  the  signs  of  the  zodiac,  the  calendar  would  be 
condemned  as  totally  deficient,  and  the  whole  impression  w^ould  re- 
main on  his  hands. 

But  what  are  those  signs  ?  They  are  the  constellations  of  the 
zodiac,  that  is,  clusters  of  stars,  twelve  in  number,  within  and  in- 
cluding the  tropics  of  Cancer  and  Capricon.  These  constellations 
resemble  the  animals  after  which  they  are  named.  But  what  influ- 
ence do  these  clusters  of  stars  exert  on  the  animal  and  the  plant  ? 
Certainly  none  at  all ;  and  yet  we  have  been  taught  that  the  north- 
ern constellations  govern  the  divisions  of  living  bodies  alternately 
from  the  head  to  the  reins,  and  in  like  manner  the  southern  from 


37 


290 


WITCHCRAFT. 


the  reins  to  the  feet.  The  sign  then  makes  a  skip  from  the  feet  to 
Aries,  who  again  assumes  the  government  of  the  head,  and  so  on. 

About  half  these  constellations  are  friendly  divinities,  and  exert 
a  salutary  influence  on  the  animal  and  the  plant.  The  others  are 
malignant  in  their  temper,  and  govern  only  for  evil  purposes.  They 
blast  during  their  reign  the  seed  sown  in  the  earth,  and  render  medi- 
cine and  the  operation  of  surgery  unsuccessful. 

We  have  read  of  the  Hebrew  worshippers  of  the  hosts  of  heaven 
whenever  they  relapsed  into  idolatary  ;  and  these  same  constellations 
were  the  hosts  of  heaven  which  they  worshipped.  We,  it  is  true, 
make  no  offering  to  these  hosts  of  heaven,  but  we  give  them  our 
faith  and  confidence.  We  hope  for  physical  benefits  from  those  of 
them  whose  dominion  is  friendly  to  our  interests,  while  the  reign  of 
the  malignant  ones  is  an  object  of  dread  and  painful  apprehension. 

Let  us  not  boast  very  much  of  our  science,  civilization,  or  even 
Christianity,  while  this  column  of  the  relics  of  paganism  still  dis- 
graces the  christian  calendar. 

I  have  made  these  observations  with  a  view  to  discredit  the 
remnants  of  superstition  still  existing  among  us.  While  dreams, 
the  howling  of  the  dog,  and  the  croaking  of  the  raven,  are  prophetic 
of  future  events,  we  are  not  good  christians.  While  we  are  dis- 
mayed at  the  signs  of  heaven,  we  are  for  the  time  being  pagans. 
Life  has  real  evils  enough  to  contend  with,  without  imaginary  ones. 


MORALS. 


291 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

MORALS. 

In  the  section  of  the  country  where  my  father  lived,  there  was, 
for  many  years  after  the  settlement  of  the  country,  "  neither  law  nor 
gospel."  Our  want  of  legal  government  was  owing  to  the  uncer- 
tainty whether  we  belonged  to  the  State  of  Virginia  or  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  line  which  at  present  divides  the  two  States,  was  not 
run  until  some  time  after  the  conclusion  of  the  Revolutionary  War. 
Thus  it  happened,  that  during  a  long  period  of  time  we  knew 
nothing  of  courts,  lawyers,  magistrates,  sheriffs  or  constables. 
Every  one  was  therefore  at  liberty  "  to  do  whatsoever  was  right  in 
his  own  eyes." 

As  this  is  a  state  of  society  which  few  of  my  readers  have  ever 
witnessed,  I  shall  describe  it  as  minutely  as  I  can,  and  give  in  detail 
those  moral  maxims  which  in  a  great  degree  answered  the  important 
purposes  of  municipal  jurisprudence. 

In  the  first  place  let  it  be  observed  that  in  a  sparse  population, 
where  all  the  members  of  the  community  are  well-known  to  each 
other,  and  especially  in  a  time  of  war,  where  every  man  capable  of 
bearing  arms  is  considered  highly  valuable  as  a  defender  of  his 
country,  public  opinion  has  its  full  effect,  and  answers  the  purpose 
of  legal  government  better  than  it  would  in  a  dense  population  in 
time  of  peace. 

Such  was  the  situation  of  our  people  along  the  frontiers  of  our 
settlements.  They  had  no  civil,  military  or  ecclesiastical  laws,  at 
leased  none  that  were  enforced;  and  yet,  "  they  were  a  law  unto 
themselves,"  as  to  all  the  leading  obligations  of  our  nature  in  all  the 
relations  in  which  they  stood  to  each  other.  The  turpitude  of  vice 
and  the  majesty  of  moral  virtue  was  then  as  apparent  as  they  are 
now,  and  they  were  then  regarded  with  the  same  sentiments  of  aver- 
sion or  respect  which  they  inspire  at  the  present  time.  Industr}'  in 
working  or  hunting,  bravery  in  war,  candor,  honest}^  hospitality, 
and  steadiness  of  deportment,  received  their  full  reward  of.  public 
honor  and  public  confidence  among  our  rude  forefathers,  as  well  as 
among  their  better  instructed  and  more  polished  descendants.  The 
punishments  which  they  inflicted  upon  offenders  by  the  imperial 
court  of  public  opinion,  were  well  adapted  for  the  reformation  of  the 
culprit,  or  his  expulsion  from  the  community. 

The  punishment  for  idleness,  lying,  dishonesty,  and  ill-fame 


392 


MORALS. 


generally,  was  that  of  hating  the  offender  out,"  as  they  expressed 
it.  This  mode  of  chastisement  was  like  the  ati?nea  of  the  Greeks. 
It  was  public  expression,  in  various  ways,  of  a  general  sentiment  of 
indignation  against  such  as  transgressed  the  moral  maxims  of 
the  commuity  or  banishment  of  the  person  against  whom  it  was 
directed. 

At  house-raising,  log-rollings,  and  harvest-parties,  every  one 
was  expected  to  do  his  duty  faithfully.  A  person  who  did  not  per- 
form his  share  of  labor  on  these  occasions,  was  designated  by  the 
^epithet  of  "  Lawrence,"  or  some  other  title  still' more  opprobrious  ; 
and  when  it  came  to  his  turn  to  require  the  like  aid  from  his 
neighbors,  the  idler  felt  his  punishment  in  their  refusal  to  attend 
to  his  calls. 

Although  there  was  no  legal  compulsion  to  the  performance  of 
military  duty  ;  yet  every  man  of  full  age  and  size  was  expected  to 
do  his  full  share  of  public  service.  If  he  did  not  do  so,  he  was 
"hated  out  as  a  coward."  Even  the  want  of  any  article  of  war 
equipments,  such  as  ammunition,  a  sharp  flint,  a  priming  wire,  a 
scalping  knife,  or  tomahawk,  was  thought  highly  disgraceful.  A 
man,  who,  without  a  reasonable  excuse  failed  to  go  on  a  scout  or 
campaign  when  it  came  to  his  turn,  met  with  a  expression  of  indig- 
nation in  the  countenance  of  all  his  neighbors,  and  epithets  of  dis- 
honor were  fastened  upon  him  without  mercy. 

Debts,  which  make  such  an  uproar  in  civilized  life  were  but 
little  known  among  our  forefathers  at  an  early  settlement  of  this 
country.  After  the  depreciation  of  the  continental  paper,  they  had 
no  money  of  any  kind  ;  everything  purchased  was  paid  for  in  pro- 
duce or  labor.  A  good  cow  and  calf  was  often  the  price  of  a  bashel 
of  alum  salt.  If  a  contract  was  not  faithfully  fulfilled,  the  credit  of 
the  delinquent  was  at  once  ended. 

Any  petty  theft  was  punished  with  all  the  infamy  that  could  be 
heaped  on  the  offender.  A  man  on  a  campaign  stole  from  his  com- 
rade a  cake  out  of  the  ashes  in  which  it  was  baking.  He  was  im- 
mediately named  the  Bread  rounds."  This  epithet  of  reproach 
was  bandied  about  in  this  way.  When  he  came  in  sight  of  a  group 
of  men,  one  of  them  would  call,  Who  comes  there?"  Another 
would  answer,  "  The  Bread  rounds."  If  any  one  meant  to  be  more 
serious  about  the  matter,  he  would  call  out,  "  Who  stole  a  cake  out 
of  the  ashes  ?"  Another  replied  by  giving  the  name  of  the  man  in 
full.  To  this  a  third  would  give  confirmation  by  exclaiming, 
"  That  is  true  and  no  lie."  This  kind  of  "  tongue  lashing"  he  was 
doomed  to  hear  for  the  rest  of  the  campaign,  as  well  as  for  years 
after  his  return  home. 

If  a  thief  was  detected  in  any  of  the  frontier  settlements,  a 
summary  mode  of  punishment  was  always  resorted  to.  The  first 
settlers,  so  far  as  I  knew  of  them,  had  a  kind  of  innate  or  heredi- 
tary detestation  of  the  crime  of  theft,  in  any  shape  or  degree,  and 
their  maxim  was  that  "a  thief  must  be  whipped."    If  the  theft  was 


MORALS. 


293 


something  of  value,  a  kind  of  jury  of  the  neighborhood,  after  hear- 
ing the  testimony,  would  condemn  the  culprit  to  Moses's  law,  that 
is,  to  forty  stripes  save  one.  If  the  theft  was  of  small  articles,  the 
effender  was  doomed  to  carry  on  his  back  the  flag  of  the  United 
States,  which  then  consisted  of  thirteen  stripes.  In  either  case, 
some  hands  were  selected  to  execute  the  sentence,  so  that  the  stripes 
were  sure  to  be  well  laid  on. 

This  punishment  was  followed  by  a  sentence  of  exile.  He 
then  was  informed  that  he  must  decamp  in  so  many  days  and  be 
seen  there  no  more  on  penalty  of  having  the  number  of  his  stripes 
doubled. 

For  many  years  after  the  law  was  put  into  operation  in  the 
western  part  of  Virginia,  the  magistrates  themselves  were  in  the 
habit  of  giving  those  who  were  brought  before  them  on  charges  of 
small  thefts,  the  liberty  of  being  sent  to  jail  or  taking  a  w^hipping. 
The  latter  was  commonly  chosen,  and  was  immediately  inflicted, 
after  which  the  thief  was  ordered  to  clear  out. 

In  some  instances  stripes  were  inflicted  ;  not  for  the  punishment 
of  an  offense,  but  for  the  purpose  of  extorting  a  confession  from  sus- 
pected persons.  This  was  the  torture  of  our  early  times,  and  no 
doubt  sometimes  very  unjustly  inflicted. 

If  a  woman  was  given  to  tattling  and  slandering  her  nei2:hbors, 
she  was  furnished  by  common  consent  wnth  a  kind  of  patent  right 
to  say  whatever  she  pleased,  without  being  believed.  Her  tongue 
was  then  said  to  be  harmless,  or  to  be  no  scandal. 

With  all  their  rudeness,  these  people  were  given  to  hospitality, 
and  freely  divided  their  rough  fare  with  a  neighbor  or  a  stranger, 
and  would  have  been  offended  at  the  offer  of  pay.  In  their  settle- 
ments and  forts,  they  lived,  they  worked,  they  fought  and  feasted, 
or  suffered  together,  in  cordial  harmony.  They  were  warm  and 
constant  in  their  friendships.  On  the  other  hand  they  were  re- 
vengeful in  their  resentments ;  and  the  point  of  honor  sometimes 
led  to  personal  combats.  If  one  man  called  another  a  liar,  he  was 
considered  as  having  given  a  challenge  which  the  person  who  received 
it  must  accept,  or  be  deemed  a  coward,  and  the  charge  was  gener- 
ally answered  on  the  spot  with  a  blow.  If  the  injured  person  was 
decidedly  unable  to  fight  the  aggressor,  he  might  get  a  friend  to  do 
it  for  him.  The  same  thing  took  place  on  a  charge  of  cowardice,  or 
any  other  dishonorable  action.  A  battle  must  follow,  and  the  per- 
son who  made  the  charge  must  either  fight  the  person  against  whom 
he  made  it,  or  any  champion  who  choose  to  espouse  his  cause.  Thus 
circumstanced,  our  people  in  early  times  were  much  more  cautious 
of  speaking  evil  of  their  neighbors  than  they  are  at  present. 

Sometimes  pitched  battles  occurred,  in  which  time,  place,  and 
seconds  were  appointed  beforehand.  I  remember  having  seen  one 
of  these  pitched  battles  in  my  father's  Fort,  when  a  boy.  One  of 
the  young  men  knew  very  well  beforehand  that  he  should  get  the 
worst  of  the  battle,  and  no  doubt  repented  the  engagement  to  fight  j 


294 


MORALS. 


but  there  was  no  getting  over  it.  The  point  of  honor  demanded  the 
risk  of  battle.  He  got  his  whipping  ;  they  then  shook  hands,  and 
were  good  friend  afterwards. 

This  mode  of  single  combat  in  those  days  was  dangerous  in  the 
extreme.  Although  no  weapons  were  used,  fists,  teeth  and  feet 
were  employed  at  will ;  but  above  all,  the  detestable  practice  of 
gouging,  by  which  eyes  were  sometimes  put  out,  rendered  the  mode 
of  fighting  frightful  indeed.  It  was  not,  however,  so  destructive  as 
the  stiletto  of  the  Italian,  the  knife  of  the  Spaniard,  the  small  sword 
of  the  Frenchman,  or  the  pistol  of  the  American  or  English  duelist. 

Instances  of  seduction  and  bastardy  do  not  frequently  happen 
in  our  early  times.  I  remember  one  instance  of  the  former,  in  which 
the  life  of  the  man  was  put  in  jeopardy  by  the  resentment  of  the 
family  to  which  the  girl  belonged.  Indeed,  considering  the  chival- 
rous temper  of  our  people,  this  crime  could  not  then  take  place  without 
great  personal  danger  from  the  brothers  or  other  relations  of  the 
victim  seduced,  family  honor  being  then  estimated  at  a  high  rate. 

I  do  not  recollect  that  profane  language  was  much  more  preval- 
ent in  our  early  times  than  at  present. 

Among  the  people  with  whom  I  am  conversant,  there  was  no 
other  vestige  of  the  christian  religion  than  a  faint  observance  of 
Sunday,  and  that  merely  a  day  of  rest  for  the  aged  and  play-day  for 
the  young. 

The  first  christian  service  I  ever  heard  was  in  the  Garrison 
church,  in  Baltimore  county,  in  Maryland,  where  my  father  had  sent 
me  to  school.  I  was  then  about  ten  years  old.  The  appearance  of 
the  church,  the  windows  of  which  were  Gothic,  the  white  surplice 
of  the  minister,  and  the  responses  in  the  service,  overwhelmed  me 
with  surprise.  Among  my  school-fellows  in  that  place,  it  was  a 
matter  of  reproach  to  me  that  I  was  not  baptized,  and  why?  Be- 
cause, as  they  said,  I  had  no  name.  Such  was  their  notion  of  the 
efficacy  of  baptism. 


THE  REVOLUTION. 


295 


CHAi^TER  XXX. 

THE  REVOLUTION. 

The  American  Revolution  was  the  commencement  of  a  new  era 
in  the  history  of  the  world.  The  issue  of  that  eventful  contest 
snatched  the  sceptre  from  the  hands  of  the  monarch,  and  placed  it 
where  it  ought  to  be,  in  the  hands  of  the  people. 

On  the  sacred  altar  of  liberty  it  consecrated  the  rights  of  man, 
surrendered  to  him  the  right  and  power  to  govern  himself,  and 
placed  in  his  hands  the  resources  of  his  country,  as  munitions  of  war 
for  his  defense.  The  experiment  was  indeed  bold  and  hazardous 
but  success  has  hitherto  more  than  justified  the  most  sanguine  an- 
ticipations of  those  who  made  it.  The  world  has  witnessed,  with 
astonishment,  the  rapid  growth  and  confirmation  of  our  noble 
fabric  of  freedom.  From  our  distant  horizon,  we  have  reflected  a 
strong  and  steady  blaze  of  light  on  ill-fated  Europe,  from  time  im- 
memoral  involved  in  the  fetters  and  gloom  of  slavery.  Our  history 
has  excited  a  general  and  ardent  spirit  of  inquiry  into  the  nature  of 
our  civil  institutions,  and  a  strong  wish  on  the  part  of  the  people  in 
distant  countries,  to  paticipate  in  our  blessings. 

But  will  an  example,  so  portentuous  of  evil  to  the  chiefs  of  des- 
potic institutions,  be  viewed  with  indifference  by  those  who  now 
sway  the  scepter  with  unlimited  power,  over  the  many  millions  of 
their  vassals  ?  Will  they  adopt  no  measures  of  defense  against  the 
influence  of  that  freedom,  so  widely  diffused  and  so  rapidly  gaining 
strength  throughout  their  empires  ?  Will  they  make  no  effort  to 
remove  from  the  world  those  free  governments,  whose  example 
gives  them  such  annoyance?  The  measures  of  defence  will  be 
adopted,  the  effort  will  be  made  ;  for  power  is  never  surrendered 
without  a  struggle. 

Already  nations,  which,  from  the  earliest  period  of  their  his- 
tory, have  constantly  crimsoned  the  earth  with  each  other's  blood, 
have  become  a  band  of  brothers  for  the  destruction  of  every  germ  of 
human  liberty.  Every  year  witnesses  an  association  of  the  mon- 
arch of  those  nations,  in  unhallowed  conclave,  for  the  purpose  of 
concerting  measures  for  effecting  their  dark  designs.  Hitherto 
the  execution  of  those  measures  has  been  alas  ?  to  fatally  successful. 

It  would  be  impolitic  and  unwise  in  us  to  calculate  on  escaping  . 
the  hostile  notice  of  the  despots  of  continental  Europe.  Already 
we  hear,  like  distant  thunder,  their  expressions  of  indignation  and 


296  THE  RKVOI^UTION. 

threats  of  vengeance.  We  ought  to  anticipate  the  gathering  storm 
without  dismay,  but  not  with  indifference.  In  viewing  the  dark 
side  of  the  prospect  before  us,  one  source  of  consolation,  of  much 
magnitude,  presents  itself.  It  is  confidently  expected,  that  the 
brave  and  potent  nation,  with  whom  we  have  common  origin,  will 
not  risk  the  loss  of  that  portion  of  liberty,  which  at  the  expense  of 
so  much  blood  and  treasure,  they  have  secured  for  themselves,  by  an 
unnatural  association  with  despots,  for  the  unholy  purpose  of  mak- 
ing war  on  the  few  nations  of  the  earth,  which  possess  any  consid- 
erable portion  of  that  invaluable  blessing  ;  on  the  contrary  it  is 
hoped  by  us  that  they  will,  if  necessity  should  require,  employ  the 
bravery  of  their  people,  their  immense  resources,  and  the  trident  of 
the  ocean,  in  defense  of  their  own  liberties,  and  by  consequence 
those  of  others. 

Legislators,  fathers  of  our  country  !  lose  no  time,  spare  no  ex- 
pense in  hastening  on  the  requisite  means  of  defense,  for  meeting 
with  safety  and  with  victory  the  impending  storm,  which  sooner  or 
later  must  fall  upon  us. 


* 


CIVII.IZATION. 


297 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

CIVILIZATION. 

The  causes  which  led  to  the  present  state  of  civilization  in  the 
western  countr}^  are  subjects  which  deserve  some  consideration. 

The  state  of  society  and  manners  of  the  early  settlers,  as  pre- 
sented in  these  notes,  shows  very  clearly  that  their  grade  of  civihza- 
tion  was  indeed  low  enough.  The  descendents  of  the  English  caval- 
iers from  Maryland  and  Virginia,  who  settled  mostly  along  the  rivers, 
and  the  descendents  of  the  Irish,  w^ho  settled  in  the  interior  parts  of 
the  country,  were  neither  remarkable  for  science  or  urbanity  of 
m.anners.  The  former  were  mostly  illiterate,  rough  in  their  mxan- 
ners,  and  addicted  to  the  rude  diversions  of  horse  racing,  wrestling, 
shooting,  dancing,  &c.  Their  diversions  were  often  accompanied 
with  personal  combats,  which  consisted  of  blows,  kicking,  biting, 
and  gouging.  This  mode  of  fighting  was  what  they  called 
rough  and  tumble.  Sometimes  a  previous  stipulation  was  made 
to  use  the  fists  only.  Yet  these  people  were  industrious,  enter- 
prising, generous  in  their  hospitality,  and  brave  in  the  defense  of 
their  country. 

These  people,  for  the  most  part,  formed  the  cordon  along 
the  Ohio  River,  on  the  frontiers  of  Pennsylvania,  Virginia  and  Ken- 
tucky, which  defended  the  country  against  the  attacks  of  the  In- 
dians during  the  Revolutionary  War.  They  were  the  janizaries  of 
the  country,  that  is,  they  were  soldiers  when  they  choose  to  be  so, 
and  when  they  choose  laid  down  their  arms.  Their  military  service 
was  voluntary,  and  of  course  received  no  pa3^ 

With  the  descendant  of  the  Irish  I  had  but  little  acquaintance, 
although  I  lived  near  them.  At  an  early  period  the)^  were  com- 
prehended in  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  were  more  reserved  in 
their  deportment  than  their  frontier  neighbors,  and  from  their 
situation  being  less  exposed  to  the  Indian  warfare,  took  less  part  in 
that  war. 

The  patriot  of  the  western  region  finds  his  love  of  country  and 
national  pride  augmented  to  the  highest  grade,  when  he  compares 
the  political,  moral,  and  religious  character  of  his  people,  with 
that  of  the  inhabitants  of  many  large  divisions  of  the  old  world.  In 
Asia  and  Africa,  generation  after  generation  passes  without  any 
change  in  the  moral  and  religious  character  or  physical  condition  of 
the  people. 

38 


4 


298 


CIVILIZATION. 


On  the  Barbary  coast,  the  traveler,  if  a  river  lies  in  his  way  and 
happens  to  be  too  high,  must  either  swim  it  or  wait  till  it  subsides. 
If  the  traveler  is  a  christian,  he  must  have  a  firman  and  a  guard. 
Yet  this  was  once  the  country  of  the  famous  Carthagenians. 

In  Upper  Egypt,  the  people  grind  meal  for  their  dhourra  bread, 
by  rubbing  it  between  two  flat  stones.    This  is  done  by  women. 

In  Palestine,  the  grindnig  of  grain  is  still  performed  by  an 
ill-constructed  hand-mill,  as  in  the  days  of  our  Saviour.  The  roads 
to  the  famous  City  of  Jerusalem  are  still  almost  in  the  rude  state 
of  nature. 

In  Asiatic  Turkey,  merchandise  is  still  carried  on  by  caravans, 
which  are  attended  with  a  military  guard  ;  and  the  naked  walls  of  the 
caravansera  is  their  fortress  and  place  of  repose  at  nights,  instead  of 
a  place  of  entertainment.  The  streets  of  Constantinople,  instead  of 
being  paved,  are  in  many  places  almost  impassable  from  mud,  filth, 
and  the  carcasses  of  dead  beasts.  Yet  this  is  the  metropolis  of  a 
great  empire. 

Throughout  the  w^hole  of  the  extensive  regions  of  Asia  and 
Africa,  man,  from  his  cradle  to  his  grave,  sees  no  change  in  the 
aspect  of  anything  around  him,  unless  from  the  desolations  of  war. 
His  dress,  his  ordinary  salutations  with  his  neighbor,  his  diet  and 
mode  of  eating  it,  are  prescribed  by  his  religious  institutions  ;  and 
his  rank  in  society,  as  well  as  his  occupation,  are  determined  b}^  his 
birth.  Steady  and  unvarying  as  the  lapse  of  time  in  every  depart- 
ment of  life,  generation  after  generation  beats  the  dull  monotonous 
round.  The  Hindoo  would  sooner  die  a  martyr  at  the  stake,  than  sit 
on  a  chair  or  eat  with  a  knife  or  fork. 

The  descendant  of  Ishmael  is  still  * '  a  wild  man. ' '  Hungry, 
thirsty  and  half  naked,  beneath  a  burning  sun,  he  traverses  the  im- 
mense and  inhospitable  desert  of  Zahara,  apparently  without  any  ob- 
ject, because  his  forefathers  did  before  him.  Throughout  life  he 
subsists  on  camel's  milk  and  flesh,  while  his  only  covering  from  the 
inclemency  of  the  weather  is  a  flimsy  tent  of  camel's  hair.  His 
single,  solitary  virtue,  is  that  of  hospitality  to  strangers ;  in  every 
respect  he  is  a  thief  and  robber. 

The  Chinese  still  retain  their  alphabet  of  thirty-six  thousand 
heiroglyphics.  They  must  never  exchange  it  for  one  of  twenty  let- 
ters, v/hich  would  answer  an  infinitely  better  purpose. 

Had  we  pursued  the  course  of  the  greater  number  of  the  na- 
tions of  the  earth,  we  should  have  been  this  day  treading  in  the  foot- 
steps of  our  forefathers,  from  whose  example  in  any  respect  we  should 
have  thought  it  criminal  to  depart  in  the  slighest  degree. 

Instead  of  a  blind  or  superstitious  imitation  of  the  manners  and 
customs  of  our  forefathers,  we  have  thought  and  acted  for  our- 
selves, and  we  have  changed  ourselves  and  everything  around  us. 

The  linsey  and  coarse  linen  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  country, 
have  been  exchanged  for  the  substantial  and  fine  fabrics  of  Europe 
and  Asia,  the  hunting-shirt  for  the  fashionable  coat  of  broad-cloth 


CIVILIZATION. 


299 


and  the  moccason  for  boots  and  shoes  of  tanned  leather.  The 
dresses  of  the  ladies  are  equal  in  beauty,  fineness  and  fashion, 
to  those  of  the  cities  and  countries  of  Europe  and  of  the  Atlantic 
America. 

It  is  not  enough  that  persevering  industry  has  enabled  us  to 
purchase  the  '  *  purple  and  fine  linen ' '  from  foreigners,  and  to  use 
their  porcelain  and  glassware,  whether  plain,  engraved  or  gilt ;  w^e 
have  nobly  dared  to  fabricate  those  elegant,  comfortable,  and  valu- 
able productions  of  art  for  ourselves. 

A  well-founded  prospect  of  large  gains  from  useful  arts  and 
honest  labor  have  drawn  to  our  country  a  large  number  of  the  best 
artisans  of  other  countries.  Their  mechanic  arts,  immensely  im- 
proved by  the  American  genius,  have  hitherto  realized  the  hopeful 
prospect  which  induced  their  emigration  to  our  infant  country. 

The  horse  paths,  along  which  our  forefathers  made  their  labori- 
ous journeys  over  the  mountains  for  salt  and  iron,  were  soon  suc- 
ceeded by  wagon  roads,  and  these  again  by  substantial  turnpikes, 
which,  as  if  by  magic  enchantment,  have  brought  the  distant  region, 
not  many  years  ago  denominated  **the  backwoods,"  into  a  close 
and  lucrative  connection  with  our  great  Atlantic  cities.  The  jour- 
ney over  the  mountains,  formerly  considered  so  long,  so  expensive, 
and  even  perilous,  is  now  made  in  a  very  few  days,  and  with  accom- 
modations not  displeasing  to  the  epicure  himself.  Those  giants  of 
North  America,  the  different  mountains  composing  the  great  chain 
of  the  Alleghany,  formerly  so  frightful  in  their  aspect,  and  present- 
ing so  many  difficulties  in  their  passage,  are  now  scarcely  noticed  by 
the  traveler,  in  his  journey  along  the  graduated  highways  by  which 
they  are  crossed. 

The  rude  sports  of  former  times  have  been  discontinued.  Ath- 
letic trials  of  muscular  strength  and  activity,  in  which  there  cer- 
tainly is  not  much  of  merit,  have  given  away  to  the  more  noble 
ambition  for  mental  endowments  and  skill  in  useful  arts.  To  the 
rude  and  often  indecent  songs,  but  roughly  and  unskillfully  sung, 
have  succeeded  the  psalm  and  hymn,  and  swelling  anthem.  To  the 
clamorous  boast,  the  provoking  banter,  the  biting  sarcasm,  the  horid 
oath  and  imprecation,  have  succeeded  urbanity  and  manners,  and  a 
coarse  conversation  enlightened  by  science  and  chastened  by  mental 
attention  and  respect. 

Above  all,  the  direful  spirit  of  revenge,  the  exercise  of 
which  so  much  approximated  the  character  of  man}^  of  the  first 
settlers  of  our  country  to  that  of  the  worst  of  savages,  is  now  un- 
known. The  Indian  might  pass  in  safety  among  those,  whose 
remembrance  still  bleeds  at  the  recollection  of  the  loss  of  their  rela- 
tives, who  have  perished  under  the  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife  of 
the  savages. 

The  Moravian  brethren  may  dwell  in  safety  on  the  sites  of  the 
villages  desolated,  and  over  the  bones  of  their  brethren  and  fore- 
fathers murdered,  by  the  more  than  the  savage  ferocity  of  the 


300 


CIVILIZATION. 


whites.  Nor  let  it  be  supposed  that  the  return  of  peace  produced 
this  salutary  change  of  feeling  toward  the  tawney  sons  of  the  forest. 
The  thirst  for  revenge  was  not  wholly  allayed  by  the  balm  of  peace ; 
several  Indians  fell  victims  to  the  private  vengeance  of  those  who 
had  recently  lost  their  relations  in  the  war,  for  some  3^ears  after  it 
had  ceased 

If  the  state  of  society  and  manners,  from  the  commencement  of 
the  settlements  in  this  country,  during  the  lapse  of  many  years, 
owing  to  the  sanguinary  character  of  the  Indian  mode  of  warfare 
and  other  circumstances,  was  in  a  state  of  retrogression,  as  was 
evidently  the  case,  if  ignorance  is  more  easily  induced  than  science, 
if  society  more  speedily  deteriorates  than  improves,  if  it  be  much 
easier  for  the  civilized  man  to  become  vv^ild,  than  for  the  wild  man 
to  become  civilized  ;  I  ask,  what  means  have  arrested  the  progress 
of  the  early  inhabitants  of  the  western  region  towards  the  barbar- 
ism? What  agents  have  directed  their  influence  in  favor  of  science, 
morals  and  piety  ? 

The  early  introduction  of  commerce  was  among  the  first  means 
of  changing,  in  some  degree,  the  existing  aspect  of  the  population 
of  the  country,  and  giving  a  new  current  to  public  feeling,  and  in- 
dividual pursuit. 

The  huntsman  and  w^arrior,  when  he  had  exchanged  his  hun- 
ter's dress  for  that  of  a  civilized  man,  soon  lost  sight  of  his  former 
occupation,  and  assumed  a  new  character  and  new  line  of  life,  like 
the  soldier,  who,  when  he  receives  his  discharge  and  lays  aside  his 
regimentals,  soon  looses  the  feeling  of  a  soldier,  and  even  forgets  in 
some  degree  his  manual  exercise. 

Had  not  commerce  furnished  the  means  of  changing  the  dresses 
of  our  people  and  the  furniture  of  their  houses,  had  the  hunting 
shirt,  moccasons  and  leggins,  continued  to  be  the  dress  of  men,  had 
the  three-legged  stool,  the  noggin,  the  trencher  and  wooden  bowl, 
continued  to  be  the  furniture  of  the  houses,  our  progress  towards 
science  and  civilization  would  have  been  much  more  slower. 

It  may  seem  strange  that  so  much  importance  is  attached  to 
the  influence  of  dress  in  giving  the  moral  and  intellectual  character 
of  society. 

In  all  the  institutions  of  despotic  gevernments  we  discover  evi- 
dent traces  of  the  highest  grade  of  human  sagacity  and  foresight. 
It  must  have  been  the  object  of  the  founders  of  those  governments 
to  repress  to  genius  of  man,  divest  the  mind  of  every  sentiment  of 
ambition,  and  prevent  the  cognizance  of  any  rule  of  life,  excepting 
that  of  a  blind  obedience  to  the  despot  and  his  established  institutions 
of  religion  and  government ;  hence  the  canonical  law  of  religion,  in 
all  governments  despotic  in  principle,  have  prescribed  the  costume  of 
each  class  of  society,  their  diet  and  the  manner  of  eating  it ;  and 
even  their  household  furniture  is  in  like  manner  prescribed  by  law. 
In  all  these  departments,  no  deviation  from  the  law  and  custom  is 
permitted  or  even  though^  of.    The  whole  science  of  human  nature, 


CIVILIZATION. 


301 


under  such  governments,  is  that  of  a  knowledge  of  the  duties  of  the 
station  of  life  prescribed  by  parentage,  and  the  whole  duty  of  man 
that  of  a  rigid  performance  of  them  ;  while  reason,  having  nothing 
to  do  with  either  the  one  or  the  other,  is  never  cultivated. 

Even  among  christians,  those  founders  of  religious  societies  have 
succeeded  best  who  have  prescribed  a  professional  costume  for  their 
followers,  because  every  time  the  disciple  looks  at  his  dress  he  is  put 
in  mind  of  his  obligations  to  the  society  to  which  he  belongs,  and  he 
is  therefore  the  less  liable  to  wander  into  strange  pastures. 

The  English  government  could  never  subdue  the  esprit  dii  coitr 
of  the  north  of  Scotland,  until,  after  the  rebellion  of  '45,  the  prohi- 
bition of  wearing  the  tartan  plaid,  the  kilt  and  the  bonnet  among 
the  Highlanders,  broke  down  the  spirit  to  the  clans. 

I  have  seen  several  of  the  Moravian  Indians,  and  wandered  that 
they  w^ere  permitted  to  wear  the  Indian  dress.  Their  conduct,  when 
among  the  white  people,  soon  convinced  me  that  the  conversion  of 
those  whom  I  saw  was  far  from  being  complete. 

There  can  be  but  little  doubt  but  that,  if  permission  should  be 
given  by  the  supreme  power  of  the  Mussulman  faith,  for  a  change, 
at  the  will  of  each  individual,  in  dress,  household  furniture,  and  in 
eating  and  drinking,  the  whole  Mohammedan  system  would  be  over- 
thrown in  a  few  years.  With  a  similar  permission,  the  Hindoo 
superstition  would  share  the  same  fate. 

We  have  some  districts  of  country  w^here  the  costume,  cabins, 
and  in  some  measure  the  household  furniture  of  their  ancestors, 
are  still  in  use.  The  people  of  these  districts  are  far  behind  their 
neighbors  in  every  valuable  endowment  of  human  nature.  Among 
them  the  virtues  of  chastity,  temperance  and  industry,  bear 
no  great  value,  and  schools  and  places  of  worship  are  but  little 
regarded.  In  general,  every  one  ''does  what  is  right  in  his  own 
eyes. ' ' 

In  short,  why  have  we  so  soon  forgotten  our  forefathers,  and 
everything  belonging  to  our  former  state  !  The  reason  is,  every- 
thing belonging  to  our  former  state  has  vanished  from  our  view% 
and  we  meet  wdth  nothing  in  remembrance  of  them.  The  recent 
date  of  the  settlement  of  our  country  is  no  longer  a  subject  of  re- 
flection. Its  immense  improvements  present  to  the  imagination- 
the  results  of  the  labors  of  several  centuries,  instead  of  the  w^ork  of 
a  few  years  ;  and  we  do  not  often  take  the  trouble  to  correct  the 
false  impressions. 

The  introduction  of  the  mechanic  arts  has  certainly  contributed 
not  a  little  to  the  morals  and  scientific  improvement  of  the  country. 

The  carpenter,  the  joiner  and  mason,  have  displaced  the  rude, 
unsightly  and  uncomfortable  cabins  of  our  forefathers,  by  comforta- 
ble, and  in  many  instances  elegant  mansions  of  stone,  brick,  hewen 
and  sawed  timbers. 

The  ultimate  objects  of  civilization  are  the  moral  and  physical 


302 


CIVIIvIZATlON. 


happiness  of  man.  To  the  latter,  the  commodious  mansion  house, 
with  its  furniture,  contributes  essentially.  The  family  mansion  of 
the  nations  of  the  earth  furnish  the  criteria  of  the  different  grades 
of  their  moral  and  mental  condition.  The  savages  universally  live 
in  tents,  wigwams,  or  lodges  covered  with  earth.  Barbarians,  next 
to  these,  may  indeed  have  habitations  something  better,  but  of  no 
value  and  indifferently  furnished.  Such  are  the  inhabitant  of  the 
Russian  Tartar  and  Turkish  peasantry. 

Such  is  the  effect  of  a  large,  elegant,  and  well  furnished  house, 
on  the  feelings  and  deportment  of  the  family,  that  if  you  were  to 
build  one  for  a  family  of  savages,  by  the  occupancy  of  it  they  would 
loose  their  savage  character  ;  or  if  they  did  not  choose  to  make  the 
exchange  of  that  character  for  that  of  civilization,  they  would  for- 
sake it  for  the  wigwam  and  the  woods. 

This  was  done  by  many  of  the  early  stock  of  backwoodsmen, 
even  after  they  built  comfortable  houses  for  themselves.  They  no 
longer  had  the  chance  of  "a  fall  hunt;"  the  woods  pasture  was 
eaten  up;  they  wanted  "elbow  room."  They  therefore  sold  out, 
and  fled  to  the  forest  of  the  frontier  settlements,  choosing  rather  to 
encounter  the  toil  of  turning  the  wilderness  into  fruitful  fields  a 
second  time,  and  even  risk  an  Indian  war,  than  endure  the  incon- 
veniences of  a  crowded  settlement.  Kentucky  first  offered  a 
resting  place  for  those  pioneers,  then  Indiana,  and  now  the  Missouri  ; 
and  it  cannot  be  long  before  the  Pacific  ocean  will  put  a  final  stop  to 
the  westward  march  of  those  lovers  of  the  wilderness. 

Substantial  buildings  have  the  effect  of  giving  value  to  the  soil 
and  creating  an  attachment  for  the  family  residence.  Those  who 
have  been  accustomed  to  poetry,  ancient  or  modern,  need  not  be 
told  how  finely  and  how  impressively  the  household  gods,  the  blaz- 
ing hearth,  the  plentiful  board,  and  the  social  fireside  figure  in 
poetical  imagery.  And  this  is  not  "  tying  up  nonsense  for  a  song." 
They  are  realities  of  life  in  its  most  polished  state ;  they  are 
among  its  best  and  most  rational  enjoyments  ;  they  associate  the 
little  family  and  community  in  parential  and  filial  affection  and 
duty,  in  which  even  the  well  clothed  child  feels  its  importance,  claims 
and  duties. 

The  amount  of  attachment  to  the  family  mansion  furnishes  the 
criterion  of  the  relative  amount  of  virtue  in  the  members  of  a 
family.  If  the  head  of  the  family  should  wander  from  the  path  of 
paternal  duty,  and  become  addicted  to  vicious  habits,  in  proportion 
as  his  virtue  suffers  a  declension,  his  love  of  his  home  and  family 
abates,  until,  any  place,  however  base  and  corrupting  it  may  be,  is 
more  agreeable  to  him  than  the  once  dulce  domum.  If  a  similar  de- 
clension in  virtue  happens  on  the  part  of  the  maternal  chief  of  the 
family  mansion,  the  first  effect  of  her  deviation  from  the  part  of 
maternal  virtue  is,  that  *  *  her  feet  abideth  not  in  her  own  house. ' ' 
The  same  observations  apply  to  children.  When  the  young  man  or 
woman,  instead  of  manifesting  a  strong  attachment  to  the  family 


CIVILIZATION. 


303 


mansion,  is  "given  to  outgoing,"  to  places  of  licentious  resort,  their 
moral  ruin  may  be  said  to  be  at  no  great  distance. 

Architecture  is  of  no  use  even  in  the  important  province  of  re- 
ligion. Those  who  build  no  houses  for  themselves,  build  no  tem- 
ples for  the  service  of  God,  and  of  course  derive  the  less  benefit  from 
the  institutions  of  religion.  While  our  people  lived  in  cabins,  their 
places  of  worship  were  tents,  as  they  were  called,  their  seats  logs, 
their  communion  tables  rough  slabs  and  hewen  timber,  and  the  cov- 
ering of  the  worshippers  the  leaves  of  the  forest  trees. 

Churches  have  succeeded  to  tents  w^th  their  rude  accommoda- 
tions for  public  worship.  The  very  aspect  of  these  sacred  edifices 
fills  the  mind  of  the  beholder  with  a  religious  awe,  and  as  the  most 
believing  and  sincere,  it  serves  to  increase  the  ferver  of  devotion. 
Patriotism  is  augmented  by  the  sight  of  the  majestic  forum  of  jus- 
tice, the  substantial  public  highway,  and  the  bridge  with  its  long 
succession  of  ponderous  arches. 

Rome  and  Greece  would  no  doubt  have  fallen  much  sooner,  had 
it  not  been  for  the  patriotism  inspired  by  the  magnificent  public  edi- 
fices. But  for  these,  their  histories  would  have  been  less  complete 
and  lasting  than  they  have  been. 

Emigration  has  brought  to  the  western  regions  the  w^ealth, 
science  and  arts  of  our  eastern  brethern,  and  even  of  Europe. 
These  we  hope  have  suffered  no  deterioration  in  the  western  coun- 
try. They  have  contributed  much  to  the  change  which  has  been 
effected  in  the  moral  and  scientic  character  of  our  country. 

The  ministry  of  the  gospel  has  contributed  no  doubt  immensely 
to  the  happy  change  which  has  been  effected  in  the  state  of  our  west- 
ern society.  At  an  early  period  of  our  settlement  three  Presbyter- 
ian clergymen  commenced  their  clerical  labors  in  our  infant  settle- 
ments, the  Rev.  Joseph  Smith,  the  Rev.  John  McMillan  and  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Bowers,  the  two  latter  of  w^hom  are  still  living.  They 
were  pious,  patient,  laborious  men,  who  collected  their  people  into 
regular  congregations,  and  did  all  for  them  which  their  circumstances 
would  allow.  It  was  no  disparagement  to  them  that  their  first 
churches  were  the  shady  grove,  and  their  first  pulpits  a  kind  of  tent, 
constructed  of  a  few  rough  slabs,  and  covered  with  clapboards. 
"He  who  dwelleth  not  exclusively  in  temples  made  with  hands," 
was  propitious  to  their  devotions. 

From  the  outset  they  prudently  resolved  to  create  a  ministry  in 
the  country,  and  accordingly  established  little  grammar  schools  at 
their  own  houses  or  in  the  immediate  neighborhoods.  The  course 
of  education  w^hich  they  gave  their  pupils,  were  indeed  not  exten- 
sive ;  but  the  piety  of  those  who  entered  into  the  ministry  more  than 
made  up  the  deficienc}^  They  formed  societies  most  of  which  are  ' 
now  large  and  respectable,  and  in  point  of  education  their  ministry 
has  much  improved. 

About  the  year  1792,  an  Academy  was  established  at  Canons- 
burg,  in  Washington  county,  in  the  western  part  of  Pennsylvania, 


304 


CIVII.IZATION. 


which  was  afterwards  incorporated  under  the  name  of  Jefferson 
College. 

The  means  possessed  b}^  the  society  for  the  undertaking  were  in- 
deed but  small ;  but  they  not  only  erected  a  tolerable  edifice  for  the 
Academy,  but  created  a  fund  for  the  education  of  such  pious  young 
men  as  were  desirous  of  entering  into  the  ministry,  but  were  unable 
to  defray  the  expenses  of  their  education.  This  institution  has  been 
rem.arkably  successful  in  its  operations.  It  has  produced  a  large 
num^ber  of  good  scholars  in  all  the  literary  professions,  and  added 
immensely  to  the  science  of  the  country. 

Next  to  this,  Washington  College,  situated  in  the  count}^  town 
of  the  county  of  that  name,  has  been  the  means  of  diffusing  much  of 
the  light  of  science  through  the  western  country. 

Too  much  praise*  cannot  be  bestowed  on  those  good  men  who 
opened  tiiese  fruitful  sources  of  instruction  for  our  infant  country, 
at  so  early  a  period  of  the  settlement.  The}^  have  immenselj^  im- 
proved the  departments  of  theology,  lavv',  medicine  and  legislation 
in  the  western  regions. 

At  a  later  period  the  Methodist  societ}^  began  their  labors  in  the 
western  parts  of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania.  Their  progress  at  first 
was  slow,  but  their  zeal  and  perseverance  at  length  overcame  every 
obstacle,  so  that  they  are  now  one  of  the  most  numerous  and  re- 
spectable societies  in  the  country.  The  itinerant  plan  of  the  minis- 
tr>^  is  well  calculated  to  convey  the  gospel  throughout  a  thinl}^  scat- 
tered population.  Accordingly  their  ministry  has  kept  pace  with 
the  extension  of  settlements.  The  little  cabin  was  scarcely  built, 
and  the  little  field  fenced  in,  before  these  evangelical  teachers  made 
their  appearance  among  them,  collected  them  into  societies,  and 
taught  them  the  worship  of  God. 

Had  it  not  been  for  the  labors  of  these  indefatigable  men,  our 
country,  as  to  a  great  extent  of  its  settlements,  would  have  been  at 
this  day  a  semi-barbaric  region.  How  many  thousands  and  tens  of 
thousands  of  the  m.ost  ignorant  and  licentious  of  our  population  have 
they  instructed  and  reclaimed  from  the  error  of  their  ways  ! 
They  have  restored  to  societ}^  even  the  most  worthless,  and  made 
them  valuable  and  respectable  as  citizens,  and  useful  in  all  the  rela- 
tions of  life.  Their  numerous  and  zealous  ministry  bids  fair  to  carry 
on  the  good  work  to  any  extent  which  our  settlements  and  popula- 
tion may  require. 

With  the  Catholics  I  have  but  little  acquaintance,  but  have 
every  reason  to  believe,  that  in  proportion  to  the  extent  of  their 
flocks,  they  have  done  well.  In  this  country  they  have  received  the 
episcopal  visitations  of  their  bishops.  In  Kentucky  they  have  a 
•  cathedral,  a  college  and  a  bishop.  In  Indiana  they  have  a  monas- 
tery of  the  order  of  St.  Trap,  which  is  also  a  college,  and  a  bishop. 

Their  clergy,  with  apostolic  zeal,  but  in  an  unostentatious  man- 
ner, have  sought  out  and  ministered  to  their  scattered  flocks  through- 
out the  country,  and  as  far  as  I  know  with  good  success. 


CIVILIZATION. 


305 


The  societies  of  Friends  in  the  western  country  are  numerous, 
and  their  establishments  in  good  order.  Although  they  are  not 
much  in  favor  of  a  classical  education,  they  are  nevertheless  in  the 
habit  of  giving  their  people  a  substantial  English  education.  Their 
habits  of  industry,  attention  to  useful  arts  and  improvements  are 
highly  honorable  to  themselves  are  worthy  of  imitation. 

The  Baptists  in  the  state  of  Kentucky  took  the  lead  in  the  minis- 
try, and  with  great  success.  Their  establishments  are,  as  I  have 
been  informed,  at  present  numerous  and  respectable  in  that  state. 
A  great  and  salutory  revolution  has  taken  place  in  this  com- 
munity of  people.  Their  ministry  was  formerly  quite  illiterate  ; 
but  they  have  turned  their  attention  to  science,  and  have  already 
erected  some  very  respectable  literary  establishments  in  different 
parts  of  America. 

The  German  Reformed  and  Lutheran  churches  in  our  country, 
as  far  as  I  know  of  them,  are  doing  well.  The  number  of  the  Luth- 
eran congregations  is  said  to  be  at  least  one  hundred  ;  that  of  the 
Reformed,  it  is  presumed,  is  about  the  same  amount. 

It  is  remarkable,  that  throughout  the  whole  extent  of  the  Unit- 
ed States,  the  Germans,  in  proportion  to  their  wealth,  have  the  best 
churches,  organs  and  graveyards.  It  is  a  fortunate  circumstance 
that  those  of  our  citizens  who  labor  under  the  disadvantage  of  speak- 
ing a  foreign  language,  are  blessed  with  a  ,  ministry  so  evangelical 
as  that  of  these  very  numerous  and  respectable  communities. 

The  Episcopalian  church,  which  ought  to  have  been  foremost  in 
gathering  their  scattered  flocks,  have  been  the  last,  and  done  the 
least  of  any  christian  community  in  the  evangelical  work.  Taking 
the  western  country  in  its  whole  extent,  at  least  one-half  its  popu- 
lation was  originally  of  Episcopalian  percentage  ;  but  for  want  of  a 
ministry  of  their  own  they  have  associated  with,  other  communities. 
They  had  no  alternative  but  that  of  changing  their  profession  or 
living  or  dying  without  the  ordinances  of  religion.  It  can  be  no 
subject  of  regret  that  those  ordinonces  were  placed  within  their 
reach  by  other  hands,  whilst  they  were  withheld  b}'  those,  by  whom, 
as  a  matter  of  right  and  duty,  they  ought  to  have  been  given.  One 
single  chorea  episcopus,  or  suffragan  bishop,  of  a  faithful  spirit, who, 
twenty  years  ago,  should  have  ' '  ordained  them  elders  in  every 
place  "  where  they  were  needed,  would  have  been  the  instrument  of 
forming  Episcopal  congreofations  over  a  great  extent  of  country,  and 
which  by  this  time  would  have  become  large, numerous  and  respecta- 
ble ;  but  the  opportunit}^  was  neglected,  and  the  consequent  loss  to 
this  church  is  irreparable. 

So  total  a  neglect  of  the  spiritual  interests  of  so  many  valuable 
people,  for  so. great  a  length  of  time,  by  a  ministrj'  so  near  at  hand, 
is  a  singular  and  unprecedented  fact  in  ecclesiastical  history,  the  like 
of  which  never  occurred  before. 

It  seems  to  me,  that  if  the  twentieth  part  of  their  number  of 
christian  people,  of  any  other  community,  had  been  placed  in  Si- 

39 


3o6 


CIVILIZATION. 


beria,  and  dependent  upon  any  other  ecclesiastical  authority  in  this 
country,  that  that  authority  would  have  reached  them  many  years 
ago  with  the  ministration  of  the  gospel.  With  the  earliest  and  most 
numerous  Episcopacy  in  America,  not  one  of  the  eastern  bishops  has 
yet  crossed  the  Alleghany  Mountains  although  the  dioceses  of  two 
of  them  comprehended  large  tracts  of  country  on  the  western  side 
of  the  mountains.  It  is  hoped  that  the  future  diligence  of  this 
community  will  make  up,  in  some  degree,  for  the  negligence  of 
the  past. 

There  is  still  an  immense  void  in  this  country  which  it  is  their 
duty  to  fill  up.  From  their  respectability,  on  the  ground  of  antiqui- 
ty arfiong  the  reformed  churches,  the  science  of  their  patriarchs, 
who  have  been  the  lights  of  the  world,  from  their  number  of  great 
resources,  even  in  America,  she  ought  to  hasten  to  fulfill  the  just 
expectations  of  her  own  people,  as  well  as  those  of  other  communi- 
ties, in  contributing  her  full  share  to  science,  piety  and  civilization 
of  our  country. 

From  the  whole  of  the  ecclesiastical  history,  it  appears,  that, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Episcopal  church,  all  our  religious  com- 
munities have  done  well  for  their  country. 

The  author  begs  that  it  may  be  understood,  that  with  the 
distinguished  tenets  of  our  religious  societies  he  has  nothing  to 
do,  nor  yet  with  the  excellencies  nor  defects  of  the  ecclesiastical 
institutions.  The^^  are  noticed  on  no  other  ground  than  that  of 
their  respective  contributions  to  the  science  and  civilization  of  the 
country. 

The  last  but  not  the  least,  of  the  means  of  our  present  civiliza- 
tion, are  our  excellent  forms  of  government  and  the  administration 
of  the  law. 

In  vain,  as  means  of  general  information,  are  schools,  colleges, 
and  a  ministry  of  the  gospel  of  the  best  order.  A  land  of  liberty  is 
a  land  of  crime,  as  well  as  of  virtue. 

It  is  often  mentioned  as  a  matter  of  reproach  to  England,  that, 
in  proportion  to  her  population,  they  have  more  convictions,  execu- 
tions, and  transportations,  than  any  other  country  in  Europe. 
Should  it  be  asked,  what  is  the  reason  of  the  prevalence  of  crime  in 
England  ?  Is  it,  that  human  nature  is  worse  there  than  elsewhere  ? 
We  answer,  no.  There  is  more  libert}'^  there  than  elsewhere  in 
Europe,  and  that  is  the  true  and  only  solution  of  the  matter  in  ques- 
tion. Where  a  people  are  at  liberty  to  learn  what  they  choose, 
to  think  and  act  as  they  please,  and  adopt  any  profession  for  a  liv- 
ing or  a  fortune,  they  are  much  more  liable  to  fall  into  the  commis- 
sion of  crimes,  than  people  who  from  their  infancy  have  been 
accustomed  to  the  dull  monotonous  march  of  despotism,  which 
chains  each  individual  in  the  rank  and  profession  of  his  forefathers, 
and  does  not  permit  him  to  wander  into  stranger  and  devious  paths 
of  hazardous  experiments. 

In  America,  should  a  stranger  read  awhile  our  numerous  publi- 


CIVILIZATION. 


307 


cations  of  a  religious  nature,  the  reports  of  missionary  and  Bible 
societies,  at  first  blush  he  would  look  upon  the  Americans  as  a  na- 
tion of  saints ;  let  him  lay  these  aside,  and  read  the  daily  news- 
papers, he  will  change  his  opinion,  and  for  the  time  being  consider 
them  as  a  nation  abounding  in  crimes  of  the  most  atrocious  dye. 
Both  portraits  are  true. 

The  greater  the  amount  of  freedom,  the  greater  the  necessity  of 
a  steady  and  faithful  administration  of  justice,  but  more  especially 
of  criminal  justice ;  because  a  general  diffusion  of  science,  while  it 
produces  the  most  salutary  effects,  on  a  general  scale,  produces  also 
the  worst  of  crimes,  by  creating  the  greater  capacity  for  their  com- 
mission. There  is  scarcely  any  art  of  science,  which  is  not  in  some 
hands  and  under  certain  circumstances  made  an  instrument  of  the 
most  atrocious  vices.  The  arts  of  navigation  and  gunnery,  so 
necessary  for  the  wealth  and  defense  of  a  nation,  have  often  degen- 
erated into  the  crime  of  piracy.  The  beautiful  art  of  engraving, 
and  the  more  useful  art  of  writing,  have  been  used  by  the  fraudu- 
lent for  counterfeiting  all  kinds  of  public  and  private  documents  of 
credit.  Were  it  not  for  the  science  and  freedom,  the  impor- 
tant professions  of  theology  and  physic  would  not  be  so  fre- 
quently assumed  by  the  pseudo  priest  and  the  quack  without  previ- 
ous acquirements,  without  right,  and  for  purposes  wholly  base  and 
unwarrantable. 

The  truth  is,  the  western  country  is  the  region  of  adventure. 
If  we  have  derived  some  advantage  from  the  importation  of  science, 
arts  and  wealth  ;  we  have  on  the  other  hand  been  much  annoyed 
and  endangered,  as  to  our  moral  and  political  state,  by  an  immense 
importation  of  vice,  associated  with  a  high  grade  of  science  and  the 
most  consummate  art  in  the  pursuit  of  wealth  by  every  description 
of  unlawful  means.  The  steady  administration  of  justice  has  been 
our  only  safety  from  destruction,  by  the  pestilential  influence  of  so 
great  an  amount  of  moral  depravity  in  our  infant  country. 

Still  it  may  be  asked  whether  facts  warrant  the  belief  that  the 
scale  is  fairly  turned  in  favor  of  science,  piety  and  civilization, 
whether  in  regard  to  the  important  endowments  of  our  nature,  the 
present  time  is  better  than  the  past,  whether  we  may  safely  consider 
our  political  institutions  as  matured  and  settled,  that  our  personal 
liberty,  property  and  sacred  honor,  are  not  only  secured  to  us  for 
the  present,  but  likely  to  remain  the  inheritance  of  our  children  for 
generations  yet  to  come.  Society,  in  its  best  state,  resembles  the 
sleeping  volcano,  as  the  amount  of  the  moral  evil  which  it  always 
contains.  It  is  enough  for  public  safety,  and  all  that  can  reasona- 
bly be  expected,  that  the  good  predominate  over  the  evil.  The 
moral  and  political  means,  which  have  been  so  successfully  em- 
ployed for  preventing  a  revolutionary  explosion,  have,  as  we 
trust,  procrastinated  the  danger  of  such  an  event  for  a  long  time  to 
come.  If  we  have  criminals,  they  are  speedily  pursued  and  brought 
to  justice. 


3o8 


CIVILIZATION. 


The  places  of  our  country,  which  still  remain  in  their  native 
state  of  wilderness,  do  not,  as  in  many  countries,  afford  notorious 
lodgments  for  thieves.  Our  hills  are  not,  as  in  the  wilderness  of 
Judea,  hills  of  robbers."  The  ministry  of  the  holy  gospel  is  en- 
lightening the  minds  of  oiir  people  with  the  best  of  all  sciences,  that 
of  God  himself,  his  divine  government  and  man's  future  state. 

Let  it  not  be  thought  hard  that  our  forums  of  justice  are  so 
numerous,  the  style  of  their  architecture  so  imposing,  and  the  busi- 
ness which  occupies  them  so  multifarious ;  they  are  the  price  which 
freedom  pays  for  its  protection.  Commerce,  circulating  through  its 
million  channels,  will  create  an  endless  variety  of  litigating  claims. 
Crimes  of  the  deepest  dye,  spring  from  science  and  liberty  them- 
selves, require  constantly  the  vigilance  and  coercion  of  criminal  jus- 
tice. Even  the  poorest  of  our  people  are  solicitious  for  the  educa- 
tion of  their  children.  Thus  the  great  supports  of  our  moral  and 
political  state,  resting  on  their  finest  bases,  public  opinion  and  at- 
tachment to  our  government  and  laws,  promise  stability  for  genera- 
tions yet  to  come. 


APPENDIX. 


I 


APPENDIX. 


The  author  of  the  History  of  the  Valley  had  intended  to  post- 
pone the  subject  of  the  following  pages,  and  give  the  subject  matter 
thereof  in  a  second  edition  ;  but  at  the  request  of  a  highly  respecta- 
ble subscriber,  and  on  consulting  the  printer,  it  is  found  that  this 
addition  to  his  work  will  not  greatly  increase  the  expense  of  the 
present  volume.  It  is  therefore  deemed  expedient  to  gratify  public 
curiosity  by  giving  the  following  sketches.  If  any  one  should  be 
found  incredulous  enough  to  doubt  the  correctness  of  this  statement, 
he  can  only  say  to  such  individuals,  that  they  can  have  occular 
proof  of  the  truth  of  each  by  taking  the  trouble  to  examine  for 
themselves. 


CHAPTER  I. 


FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

That  portion  of  the  Valley  lying  betv/een  the  Blue  Ridge  and 
Little  North  Mountain,  is  generally  about  an  average  of  twenty-five 
miles  wide,  commencing  on  the  Cohongoruton  (Potomac)  and  run- 
ning from  thence  a  southerly  course  to  the  commencement  of  the 
northern  termination  of  Powell's  Fort  Mountain,  a  distance  of  about 
forty-five  miles. 

This  region,  it  has  already  been  stated  in  a  preceding  chapter, 
when  the  country  was  first  known  to  the  white  people,  was  one 
entire  and  beautiful  prairie,  with  the  exception  of  narrow  fringes  of 
timber  immediately  bordering  on  the  water  courses.  The  Opequon, 
(pronounced  Opeckon)  heads  at  the  eastern  base  of  the  Little  North 
Mountain,  and  thence  passing  through  a  fine  tract  of  limestone 
country,  seven  or  eight  miles,  enters  into  a  region  of  slate.  This 
tract  of  slate  country  commences  at  the  northern  termination  of 
Powell's  Fort  Mountains,  and  is  six  or  eight  miles  in  width  east  and 
west,  and  continues  to  the  Potomac,  a  distance  or  about  forty-five 
miles.    The  Opequon  continues  its  serpentine  course  through  the 


APPENDIX. 


313 


slate  region,  and  empties  into  the  Potomac  about  fifteen  or  sixteen 
miles  above  Harpers-Ferry.  It  is  thought  by  some  individuals  that 
this  water  course  is  susceptible  of  navigation  for  sm^all  craft,  twenty- 
five  miles  from  its  mouth.  This  slate  region  of  countr}^  is  compara- 
tively^ poor  unproductive  land  ;  yet  in  the  hands  of  industrious  skill- 
ful farm^ers,  many  very  valuable  and  beautiful  farms  are  to  be  seen 
in  it.  About  tvvent}^  years  ago  a  scientific  Frenchman  suggested  to 
the  author  the  opinion  '  *  that  this  region  of  slate  country  was,  at  some 
remote  period  of  the  world,  covered  with  a  mountain,  an  abrasion  of 
which  had  taken  place  b}^  some  great  convulsion  of  nature.  This  he 
inferred  from  an  examination  of  the  base  of  the  Fort  Mountain,  the 
stratum  of  the  slate  at  the  foot  of  which  being  precisely  similar 
to  that  of  the  slate  at  the  edges  of  the  region  of  this  slate 
country^"  The  author  will  not  venture  an  opinion  of  his  own  on 
this  subject,  but  has  given  that  of  an  individual  who  it  was  said 
at  the  time  was  a  man  of  considerable  philosophical  and  scientific 
acquirements. 

Hast  of  this  slate  country  commences  another  region  of  fine 
limestone  land,  averaging  ten  or  twelve  miles  in  width,  and  for  its 
extent  certainly  unsurpassed  in  point  of  natural  beauty,  fertility'  and 
value,  by  any  section  of  country^  in  Virginia. 

Powell's  Fort  presents  to  the  ey^e  much  grandeur  and  sublimity'. 
Tradition  informs  us  that  an  Englisman  by  the  name  of  Powell,  at 
the  early  settlement  of  our  country,  discovered  silver  ore  in  the 
West  Fort  Mountain,  and  connnenced  the  business  of  money  coin- 
age ;  and  when  any  attempt  w^as  made  to  arrest  him,  he  would  es- 
cape into  the  mountain  and  conceal  himself.  From  this  circum- 
stance it  acquired  the  name  of  Powell's  Fort.  The  late  Capt.  Isaac 
Bowman,  about  thirty  years  ago,  pointed  out  to  the  author  the  site  of 
Powell's  shop,  where  it  was  said  he  wrought  his  metal,  the  ruins  of 
which  were  to  be  seen.  Capt.  Bowman  also  informed  the  author 
that  several  crucibles  and  other  instruments,  which  he  had  frequent- 
ly seen,  had  been  found  about  the  ruins  of  this  shop,  so  that  there 
is  no  doubt  of  the  truth  of  the  tradition  that  this  man  Powell  w^as 
in  the  practice  of  melting  down  some  sort  of  metal,  if  he  did  not  ac- 
tually counterfeit  money. 

The  grandeur  and  sublimity  of  this  extraordinary  work  of  na- 
ture consist  in  its  tremendous  height  and  singular  formation.  On 
entering  the  mouth  of  the  Fort,  we  are  struck  with  the  awful  height 
of  the  mountains  on  each  side,  probably  not  less  than  a  thousand  feet. 
Through  a  very^  narrow  passage,  a  bold  and  beautiful  stream  of  v/ater 
rushes,  called  Passage  Creek,  which  a  short  distance  below  works 
several  fine  merchant  mills.  After  traveling  tvv^o  or  three  miles,  the 
valley  gradually  widens,  and  for  upwards  of  twenty  miles  furnishes 
arable  land,  and  affords  settlements  for  eighty  or  ninety  familes, 
several  of  whom  own  very  valuable  farms.  The  two  mountains  run 
parallel  about  twenty^- four  or  twenty^-five  miles,  and  are  called  the 
Hast  and  West  Fort  Mountains,  and  are  merged  into  one,  anciently 

40 


\ 


314  APPENDIX. 

called  tlie  Masinetto,  now  Massanutten  mountain.  The  Massanut- 
ten  continues  its  course  about  thirty-five  or  thirty-six  miles  souther- 
ly, and  abruptly  terminates  nearly  opposite  Keiseltown,  in  the  Coun- 
ty of  Rockingham.  This  range  of  mountain  divides  the  two  great 
branches  of  the  Shenandoah  River,  called  the  South  and  North 
Forks.  This  mountain,  upon  the  whole,  presents  to  the  eye  some- 
thing of  the  shaj  e  of  the  letter  Y,  or  perhaps  more  the  shape  of  the 
'  houns  and  tongue  of  a  wagon. 

The  turnpike  road  from  New  Market,  crossing  Massanutten  and 
Blue  Ridge  in  the  County  of  Culpeper,  is  held  as  private  property. 
The  dwelling-house  where  the  toll  is  received  stands  on  the  summit 
of  Massanutten,  from  which  each  of  the  valleys  of  the  North  and 
South  Rivers  present  to  the  delightful  vision  of  the  traveler  a  most 
enchanting  view  of  the  country  for  a  vast  distance.  The  little  thrif- 
ty village  of  'New  Market,  with  a  great  number  of  farms  and  their 
various  improvements  are  seen  in  full  relief.  On  the  east  side  of  the 
mountain,  on  the  River  and  Hawksbill  Creek,  are  to  be  seen  a  num- 
ber of  fine  farms,  many  of  them  studded  with  handsome  brick  build- 
ings. Upon  the  whole,  the  traveler  is  amply  rewarded, by  the  grati- 
fying sight,  for  his  labor  and  fatigue  in  ascending  the  mountain, 
which  is  said  to  be  two  miles  from  its  base  to  its  summit.  There  is  a 
considerable  depression  where  the  road  crosses  at  this  place,  called 
Massanutten  Gap. 

From  the  East  Fort  Mountain,  at  a  point  nearl}^  opposite  Wood- 
stock, the  South  River  present  to  the  eyz  precisely  the  appearance  of 
three  distinct  streams  of  v^^ater  crossing  the  valley  from  the  western 
base  of  the  Blue  Ridge  to  the  foot  of  the  Fort  Mountain.  At  the 
northern  end  of  the  West  Fort  Mountain,  from  an  eminence,  Win- 
chester can  be  distinctly  seen,  at  a  distance  of  not  less  than  sixteen 
miles,  air  measure,  and  a  great  portion  of  the  County  of  Frederick 
can  be  overlooked  from  this  elevated  point.  There  is  also  an  elevat- 
ed point  about  five  miles  south  of  Front  Royal,  on  the  road  leading 
from  thence  to  Luray,  from  which  there  is  a  most  ravishing 
view  of  the  eastern  section  of  the  County  of  Frederick,  and 
the  tops  of  the  mountains  bordering  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Cohongoruton. 

After  leaving  this  eminence,  and  proceeding  southerly  towards 
Euray,  from  the  undulating  form  of  the  country  between  the  South 
River  and  Blue  Ridge,  for  a  distance  of  fourteen  or  fifteen  miles,  it 
appears  constantly  to  the  traveler  as  if  he  were  nearly  approaching 
the  foot  of  a  considerable  mountain,  and  yet  there  is  none  to  cross 
his  way  The  South  River,  for  seventy  or  eighty  miles  on  each  side, 
affords  large  propertions  of  fine  alluvial  lands,  in  many  parts  of  it 
first-rate  high  lands,  which  are  generally  finely  improved,  and  owned 
by  many  wealthy  and  highly  respectable  proprietors.  The  new 
County  of  Page,  for  its  extent,  contains  as  much  intrinsic 
wealth  as  any  county  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  with  the  exception  of 
Jefferson. 


APPENDIX. 


315 


The  valley  of  the  North  River,  from  the  West  Fort  Mountain 
to  the  eastern  base  of  the  Little  North  Mountain,  is  generally  fine 
limestone  land,  undulating  and  finely  watered.  It  is  also  highly 
improved,  with  a  density  of  population  perhaps  unequalled  by  any 
section  of  Virginia ;  and  it  is  believed  there  is  more  cash  in 
the  hands  of  its  citizens  than  in  any  part  of  the  state  for  the  same 
extent. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  state  that  the  three  counties  of  Jeffer- 
son, Berkeley  and  Frederick,  contain  a  greater  proportion  of  fertile 
lands  than  any  other  section  of  the  state  ;  but  unfortunately,  it  may 
with  truth  be  afiirmed  that  it  is  a  badly  watered  country.  There  are 
many  neighborhoods  in  which  nothing  like  a  spring  of  water  is  to 
be  seen.  It  is  hov/ever  true,  there  are  man}^  fine  large  limestone 
springs,  remarkable  for  the  great  quantity  of  water  which  is  dis- 
charged from  them.  But  nature  appears  to  have  distributed  her 
favor  in  this  respect  unequally. 

The  counties  of  Morgan,  Hampshire  and  Hardy,  are  remarka- 
ble for  their  mountains  and  fine  freestone  water.  From  the  moun- 
tainous character  of  this  section,  it  is  but  sparsely  inhabited  in  many 
parts  of  it.  The  South  and  North  Branches  of  the  Cohongoruton 
(Potomac)  afforded  considerable  quantities  of  as  fine  a  fertile  land 
as  any  part  of  the  U.  S.  Patterson's  Creek  also  furnishes  a  consid- 
erable bod}^  of  fine  land.  Capon  River,  Lost  River  and  Back  Creek, 
furnished  much  fine  land,  and  are  all  thickly  populated. 

The  western  part  of  Frederick,  Berkely  and  Shenandoah,  in- 
clude considerable  portions  of  mountainous  country.  The  Little 
North  Mountain  commences  near  the  Cohongoruton,  having  Back 
Creek  Valley  on  the  west,  which  extends  about  thirty-five  miles  into 
the  interior,  to  the  head  waters  of  the  Creek.  This  mountain  runs 
a  southerly  course,  parallel  with  the  Great  North  Mountain,  pass- 
ing through  the  three  counties  just  mentioned.  This  tract  of  moun- 
tain land  is  comparatively  poor  and  unproductive.  It  is,  how- 
ever, pretty  thickly  populated,  by  a  hardy  race  of  people.  In  our 
mountains  generally,  wherever  spots  of  arable  land  are  to  be  found, 
(which  are  chiefly  in  the  glens) ,  there  scattered  se*-tlers  are  to  be 
found  also. 

East  of  the  Shenandoah  River,  the  Blue  Ridge  is  thickly  popu- 
lated, and  many  fine  productive  farms  are  to  be  seen.  The  vast 
quanity  of  loose  stone  thickly  scattered  over  the  surface  of  the  moun- 
tain, one  w^ould  be  ready  to  believe,  would  deter  individuals  from 
attempting  its  cultivation  ;  but  it  is  a  common  saying  among  those 
people,  that  if  they  can  only  obtain  as  much  earth  as  will  cover  their 
seed  grain,  they  are  always  sure  of  good  crops. 

The  public  road  crosses  the  Blue  Ridge,  from  the  South  River 
Valley  into  the  county  of  Madison.  From  the  western  base  of  the 
mountain  to  the  summit,  it  is  said  to  be  five  miles.  On  the  top  of 
the  mountain,  at  this  place,  there  is  a  large  body  of  level  land,  cov- 
ered almost  exclusively  with  large  chestnut  timber,  having  the  ap- 


3i6 


APPENDIX. 


pearance  of  an  extensive  swamp,  and  producing  great  quantities  of 
the  skunk  cabbage.  But  little  of  it  has  been  reclaimed  and  brought 
into  cultivation.  It  produces  fine  crops  of  grass,  rye,  oats,  pota- 
toes and  turnips  ;  but  it  is  said  to  be  entirely  too  moist  for  the  pro- 
duction of  wheat,  and  too  cool  for  the  growth  of  Indian  corn.  The 
people  in  its  neighborhood  say  that  there  is  not  a  week  throughout 
the  spring,  summer  and  autumn,  without  plentiful  falls  of  rain,  and 
abundant  snows  in  the  winter.  In  the  time  of  long  droughts  on  each 
side  of  the  mountain,  the  elevated  tract  of  country  is  abundantly 
supplied  with  rains.  It  is  also  said,  that  from  this  great  height 
nearly  the  v/hole  County  of  Madison  can  be  seen,  presenting  to  the 
eye  a  most  fascinating  and  delightful  view. 

On  the  summit  of  the  West  Fork  Mountain,  about  fifteen  miles 
south  of  Woodstock,  there  is  also  a  small  tract  of  land,  remarkable 
for  its  depth  of  fine  rich  soil,  but  inaccessible  to  the  approach  of 
man  with  implements  of  husbandry.  The  tract  produces  immense 
quantities  of  the  finest  chestnut,  though  from  the  great  difiiculty  of 
ascending  the  mountain,  but  little  benefit  is  derived  from  it  to  the 
neighboring  people. 

In  our  w^estern  mountains  small  bodies  of  limestone  land  are  to 
be  met  with,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  which  is  what  is  called 
the  ''Sugar  Hills,"  pretty  high  up  the  Cedar  Creek  Valley.  The 
tract  is  said  to  contain  four  or  five  hundred  acres,  and  lies  at  the 
eastern  base  of  Paddy's  Mountain.  It  derives  its  name  from  two 
causes  ;  first,  when  discovered  it  was  covered  chiefly  with  the  sugar 
maple  ;  and  secondly,  several  of  its  knobs  resemble  in  shape  the 
sugar  loaf.  Its  soil  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  production  of  wheat 
of  the  finest  quality,  of  which,  let  the  seasons  be  as  they  may,  the 
land  never  fails  to  produce  great  crops,  which  generally  commands 
seven  or  eight  cents  per  bushel  more  than  any  other  wheat  grown  in 
its  neighborhood.  The  Hessian  fly  has  not  yet  been  known  to  in- 
jure the  crops  while  growing. 

Paddy's  Mountain  is  a  branch  of  the  great  North  Mountain, 
and  is  about  eighteen  or  twenty  miles  long.  It  takes  it  name  from 
an  Irishman,  whose  name  was  Patrick  Black,  who  first  settled  at 
what  is  now  called  Paddy's  Gap  in  the  mountain.  This  fact  was 
communicated  to  the  author  by  Moses  Russell,  Esq. 


APPENDIX. 


317 


CHAPTER  IT. 
NATURAI,  CURIOSITES. 

It  would  require  perhaps  several  volumes  to  give  a  minute  dis- 
cription  of  all  the  natural  and  interesting  curiosities  of  our  country. 
The  inquisitive  individual  can  scarcely  travel  more  than  a  mile  or  two 
in  any  direction  among  our  mountains,  but  some  sublime  and  grand 
work  of  nature  presents  itself  to  the  eye,  which  excites  his  wonder 
and  admiration.  The  author  must  content  himself  with  a  brief 
description  of  comparatively  a  few  of  the  most  remarkable.  He  will 
commence  his  narrative  with  Harpers- Ferry.  The  wonderful  work 
of  nature  has  been  so  accurately  described  by  Mr.  Jefferson,  that  it 
is  deemed  unnecessar}^  to  give  a  detailed  description  of  it.  Suffice  it 
to  say,  that  no  stranger  can  look  at  the  passage  of  the  w^aters  of  the 
Potomac  and  Shenandoah,  rushing  through  the  yawning  gap  of  the 
mountain,  without  feeling  awe  at  the  grandeur  and  sublimity  of  the 
scene,  and  read}'  to  prostrate  himself  in  adoration  before  the  omnipo- 
tent God  whose  almighty  arm  hath  made  all  things  according  to  his 
own  wisdom  and  power. 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  Capt.  Henry,  during  the  admin- 
istration of  the  elder  Adams  in  1799,  when  what  was  called  the 
provisional  army  was  raising,  and  a  part  of  which  was  stationed  at 
Harpers- Ferry,  greatly  injured  one  of  the  most  interesting  curiosi- 
ties of  the  place.  A  rock  of  extraordinary  shape  and  of  considerable 
size  stands  on  the  brink  of  a  high  hill,  on  the  south  side  of  the 
tongue  or  point  of  land  immediately  on  the  fork  of  the  river.  The 
apex  of  this  rock  was  a  broad  flat  table,  supported  on  a  pivot,  on 
which  Mr.  Jefferson,  during  his  visit  to  this  place,  inscribed  his 
name,  from  which  it  took  the  name  of  Jefferson's  rock. 

The  years  1798  and  1799  were  a  period  of  extraordinary  political 
excitement.  The  two  great  political  parties,  federal  and  democratic, 
of  our  country,  were  at  this  period  completely  organized,  and  an  in- 
teresting struggle  for  which  party  should  have  the  ascendancy  was 
carried  on.  This  same  Capt.  Henry,  whether  actuated  by  the  same 
motive  which  impelled  the  Macadonian  youth  to  murder  Philip  his 
king,  or  whether  he  hoped  to  acquire  popularity  with  his  party,  (he 
called  himself  a  federalist) ,  or  whether  from  motives  purely  hostile 
towards  Mr.  Jefferson  and  all  the  Democratic  part}^  placed  himself 
at  the  of  a  band  of  soldiers,  and  with  the  aid  of  his  myrmidons, 
hurled  off  the  apex  of  this  rock,  thus  wantonly,  and  to  say  the  least, 


APPENDIX. 


unwisely  destroyed  the  greatest  beauty  of  this  extraordinary  work 
of  nature.  By  this  illiberal  and  unwise  act,  Capt.  Henry  has  ''con- 
demned his  name  to  everlasting  fame." 

CAVES  IN  THE  COUNTY  OF  JEFFERSON. 

About  seven  or  eight  miles  above  Harpers-Ferry,  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Shenandoah,  nearly  opposite  the  Shannondale  Springs, 
from  a  quarter  to  a  half  mile  from  the  river,  a  limestone  cave  has  been 
discovered,  which  contains  several  beautiful  incrustations  of  stalac- 
tities  formed  from  the  filtration  of  the  water. 

Near  Mecklenburg,  (Shepherdstown),  another  cave  has  been 
found,  out  of  which  considerable  quantities  of  hydraulic  limestone  is 
taken,  and  when  calcined  or  reduced  to  lime,  is  found  to  make  a 
cement,  little  of  any  inferior  to  plaster  of  paris.  Out  of  this  cave  a 
concreted  limestone  was  taken,  which  the  author  saw  in  the  posses- 
sion of  Dr.  Boteler,  of  Sheperdstown,  which  at  first  view  presents  to 
the  eye,  in  shape,  a  striking  resemblance  to  that  of  a  fish  of  consid- 
erable size.  A  smaller  one  was  found  at  the  same  time,  which  has  a 
strong  resemblance  to  a  mink.  Several  intelligent  individuals  were 
inclined  to  believe  they  were  genuine  putrifactions. 

CAVES  IN  THE  COUNTY  OF  FREDERICK. 

In  the  County  of  Frederick  are  to  be  seen  five  or  six  of  these 
caves.  Zand's  cave,  now  on  the  lands  owned  by  the  heirs  of  the 
late  Maj.  James  Bean,  is  one  described  by  the  late  Mr.  Jefferson,  in 
his  *'  Notes  on  Virginia."  This  cave  the  author  partially  explored 
about  eighteen  months  ago,  but  found  it  too  fatiguing  to  pursue  his 
examination  to  any  extent.  The  natural  beauty  of  this  place  has  of 
late  years  been  greatly  injured  from  the  smoke  of  the  numerous  pine 
torches  used  to  light  it.  All  the  incrustations  and  spare  are  greatly 
darkened,  giving  the  cave  a  sombre  and  dull  appearance.  The  au- 
thor was  informed,  on  his  visit  to  that  place,  that  Major  Bean, 
shortly  before  his  death,  cut  out  several  of  the  spars,  reduced  them 
to  lime,  sprinkled  it  over  some  of  his  growing  crops,  and  found  that  it 
produced  all  the  effects  of  gypsum. 

On  the  lands,  late  the  residence  of  Capt.  Edward  McGuire,  de- 
ceased, is  another  cave  of  some  considerable  extent ;  but  its  incrus- 
tations and  spars  are  of  a  muddy  yellowish  color,  and  not  considered 
a  very  interesting  curiosity. 

Adjoining  the  lands  of  Mr.  James  Way,  the  former  residence 
of  the  late  Col.  CM.  Thurston,  an  extensive  cave  of  very  singular 
and  curious  formation  was  discovered  many  years  ago.  On  explor- 
ing it  with  the  aid  of  a  pocket  compass,  the  needle  was  found  run- 
ning to  every  part  of  it. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  Shenandoah  River,  some  two  or  three 
miles  below  Berry's  Ferry,  at  the  base  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  a  cave  of 


APPENDIX. 


319 


considerable  extent  has  been  discovered,  containing  several  curiosi- 
ties. About  two  miles  below  this  cave  on  the  same  side  of  the  river, 
is  to  be  seen  what  was  anciently-  called  Redman's  fishery.  At  the 
base  of  the  rock  a  large  subterraneous  stream  of  water  is  discharged 
into  the  river.  At  the  approach  of  winter  myriads  of  fish  make 
their  way  into  the  subterraneous  stream,  and  take  up  their  winter 
quarters.  In  the  spring  they  returned  in  the  river.  B3'  placing  a 
fish-basket  in  the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  great  quanties  of  fine  fresh- 
water fish  are  taken,  both  in  the  autumn  and  spring  of  the  year. 
The  author  recollects  being  at  this  place  upwards  of  fifty  years  ago, 
just  after  Mr.  Redman  had  taken  up  his  fish-basket,  and  can  safely 
affirm,  that  he  drew  out  of  the  water  from  two  to  three  bushels  of 
fish  at  a  single  haul. 

On  Crooked  Run,  near  Bethel  meeting-house,  on  the  lands  now 
owned  by  Mr.  Stephen  Grubb,  is  a  limestone  cave,  which  the  author 
has  more  than  once  been  in.  It  does  not  exceed  one  hundred  yards 
in  length,  and  is  remarkable  only  for  its  production  of  saltpetre,  and 
preserving  fresh  meats  in  hot  weather. 

The  Panther  Cave,  on  the  north  bank  of  Cedar  Creek,  owned  by 
Major  Isaac  Hite,  about  a  half  or  three-fourths  of  a  mile  west  of  the 
great  highway  from  Winchester  to  Staunton,  is  a  remarkable  curi- 
osity. Nature  here  has  formed  a  most  beautiful  and  solid  upright 
wall  of  a  gray  limestone  rock,  of  about  one  hundred  yards  in  length, 
near  the  west  end  of  which  is  to  be  seen  an  elegant  arch,  of  about 
sixty  feet  in  front,  ten  or  twelve  feet  high  in  the  center,  and  ex- 
tending twenty-five  or  thirty  feet  under  the  bod}^  of  the  wall. 
There  are  tv^o  circular  aperatures  running  into  the  body  of  the  rock 
from  the  arch,  one  about  twelve  inches  in  diameter,  the  other  some- 
what smaller.  Whether  these  openings  do  or  do  not  lead  into  large 
apartments  or  caverns  in  the  body  of  the  rock,  is  not  and  probably 
never  will  be  known.  Tradition  relates  that  at  the  early  settlement 
of  the  county  this  place  was  known  to  be  the  haunt  and  habitation 
of  the  panther,  from  which  it  derives  its  name. 

We  have  two  natural  wells  in  this  county  ;  one  at  what  is  called 
the  Dry  Marsh,  a  drain  of  the  Opequon,  about  two  miles  east  of  the 
Creek,  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  north  of  the  road  leading 
from  Winchester  to  Berryville.  This  natural  well  in  dry  seasons 
furnishes  several  contiguous  families  with  water.  It  is  formed  b}"  a 
natural  circular  opening  in  an  apparently  solid  limestone  rock.  Its 
walls  are  undulating,  and  in  times  of  dry  seasons  the  water  sinks 
some  sixteen  or  eighteen  feet  below  the  surface,  but  at  all  times  fur- 
nishes abundant  supplies.  In  the  winter,  no  matter  how  great  the 
degree  of  cold,  small  fish  are  frequently  drawn  up  with  the  water 
from  the  well.  In  times  of  freshets,  the  water  rises  above  the  sur- 
face, and  discharges  a  most  beautiful  current  for  several  wxeks  at  a 
time.  Tradition  relates  that  this  well  was  discovered  at  the  first 
settlement  of  the  neighborhood. 

The  other  natural  w^ell  is  the  one  described  by  Mr.  Jefferson. 


320  APPENDIX. 

This  natural  curiosity  first  made  its  appearance  on  the  breaking  up 
of  the  hard  winter  of  1789-90.  All  the  old  people  of  our  country 
doubtless  recollect  the  great  falls  of  snow  and  severity  of  this  re- 
markable winter.  The  author  was  born,  and  lived  with  his  father's 
family  until  he  was  about  thirteen  years  of  age,  within  one  and-a- 
half  miles  of  this  natural  well.  The  land  at  that  period  was  owned 
b}^  the  late  Fielding  Lewis,  of  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  but  is  now  the 
property  of  the  heirs  of  the  late  Mr.  Thomas  Castleman,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Berryville.  Nature  had  here  formed  a  circular 
sink  of  a  depth  of  some  fourteen  or  fifteen  feet,  and  fift}^  or  sixty 
feet  in  diameter  at  the  surface.  In  the  spring  of  the  3- ear  1790,  the 
earth  at  the  bottom  of  this  sink  suddenly  gave  way  and  fell  into  the 
cavity  below,  forming  a  circular  aperature  about  the  ordinary  cir- 
cumference of  a  common  artificial  well.  It  was  soon  discovered  that 
a  subterraneous  stream  of  water  passed  under  the  bottom.  There 
being  no  artificial  or  natural  means  to  prevent  the  ea.rth  immediate- 
ly about  the  well  from  falling  in,  the  aperature  is  greatly  enlarged, 
forming  a  sloping  bank,  by  which  a  man  on  foot  can  easily  descend 
within  eight  or  ten  feet  of  the  water.  The  current  of  water  is  quite 
perceptable  to  the  eye.  The  whole  depth  of  the  cavity  is  thirty  or 
thirty-five  feet. 

CAVKS  IN  THE  COUNTY  OF  SHENANDOAH.  . 

Within  two  or  three  miles  of  Woodstock,  on  the  lands  of  the  late 
William  Pa3me,  Esq.,  is  an  extensive  cavern,  which  it  is  said  has 
never  yet  been  explored  to  its  termination.  It  contains  many  curi- 
ous incrustations,  stalactities,  &c.  From  the  mouth  of  this  cave  a 
constant  current* of  cold  air  is  discharged,  and  the  cavern  is  used  by 
its  owners  as  a  place  to  preserve  their  fresh  meats  in  the  hottest  sea- 
sons of  the  year. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  South  Fork  of  the  Shenandoah  River, 
three  or  four  miles  south  of  Front  Ro^^al,  there  are  two  caves  but  a 
short  distance  apart,  which,  like  all  other  caves,  contain  beautiful 
curiosities.  One  of  them  man\^  years  ago  was  visited  and  explored 
by  the  late  celebrated  John  Randolph,  of  Roanoke  ;  but  the  author 
has  never  been  able  to  learn  whether  he  committed  to  writing  his 
observations  upon  it.  One  of  its  greatest  curiosities  is  an  excellent 
representation  of  the  hatter's  kettle. 

Within  about  three  miles  northv/est  of  Mt.  Jackson,  Shaffer's 
cave  is  situated.  It  has  been  explored  about  half  a  mile.  It  is  not 
very  remarkable  for  its  production  of  natural  curiosities.  Tradition 
relates  an  amusing  story  in  connection  with  it.  A  large  human 
skeleton  was  many  years  ago  found  in  this  cavern,  the  skull  bone 
of  which  a  neighboring  man  had  the  curiosity  to  take  to  his  dw^elling 
house.  This  aroused  the  ghost  of  the  dead  man,  who,  not  being 
pleased  with  the  removal  of  his  head,  very  soon  appeared  to  the  de- 
predator and  harrassed  him  until  he  became  glad  to  return  the  skull 


APPENDIX. 


321 


to  its  former  habitation.  The  ghost  then  became  appeased  and 
ceased  his  visits.  It  is  said  there  are  many  persons  to  his  day 
in  the  neighborhood,  who  most  religiously  believe  that  the  ghost 
did  really  and  truly  compel  the  offender  to  return  his  skull.  The 
author  saw  in  the  possession  of  Dr.  Witherall,  of  Mt.  Jackson, 
one  of  the  arm  bones  of  the  skeleton,  that  part  extending  from  the 
shoulder  to  the  elbow,  which  was  remarkable  for  its  thickness,  but 
was  not  of  very  uncommon  length.  At  that  time  he  had  not  been 
visited  by  the  ghost  to  demand  his  arm  ;  but  perhaps  he  was  not  so 
tenacious  of  it  as  he  was  of  his  head. 

In  the  County  of  Pasre,  within  about  three  miles  of  Luray,  a 
cave,  but  little  inferior  to  Weyer's  cave,  was  some  years  ago  dis- 
covered,a  graphic  description  of  which  was  written  by  W.  A.  Harris, 
Esq.,  and  published  in  the  Woodstock  Sentinel  of  the  Valley,  and 
copied  pretty  generall}^  throughout  the  Union. 

EBBING  AND  FI.OWING  SPRINGS. 

Pretty  high  up  Cedar  Creek  there  is  a  beautiful  spring  of  clear 
mountain  water,  issuing  from  the  western  side  of  Little  North 
Mountain,  in  a  glen,  which  ebbs  and  flows  twice  in  every  twenty- 
four  hours.  It  rises  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  ebbs  at  four 
in  the  evening.  It  is  in  a  perfect  state  of  nature,  has  considerable 
fall  immediately  from  its  mouth,  so  that  it  cannot  conveniently  be 
ascertained  precisel}''  what  is  its  greatest  rise  and  fall.  When  the 
author  saw  it  it  was  down,  and  he  could  not  conveniently  spare  the 
time  to  wait  and  see  it  rise.  But  the  author's  informant  (Mr.  J. 
Bond)  went  with  him  to  the  spring,  and  assured  him  that  he  had 
repeatedly  seen  it  rise.  The  author  is  also  informed  that  there  is  a 
salt  sulphur  spring  on  the  land,  late  the  propert}^  of  Mr.  John  Lee, 
but  a  short  distance  from  where  the  Staunton  stage  road  crosses 
Cedar  Creek,  which  has  a  dairy  erected  over  it.  The  respectable 
widow  of  Mr.  Lee  informed  the  author  that  this  spring  ebbs  and 
flows  twice  in  every  twenty- four  hours,  and  that  if  care  is  not  prop- 
erly taken  at  every  flow,  its  current  is  so  strong  as  to  overset  the 
vessels  of  milk  placed  in  the  water. 

FALLING  RUN. 

Some  thirteen  or  fourteen  miles  southwest  of  Winchester,  and 
within  about  two  miles  of  the  residence  of  Moses  Russell,  Esq.,  in 
the  County  of  Frederick,  is  to  be  seen  what  is  called  the  Falling 
Run.  Between  what  the  neighboring  people  call  Falling  Ridge 
(the  commencement  of  Paddy's  Mountain)  and  the  Great  North 
Mountain,  pretty  near  the  summit,  on  the  east  side  of  the  mountain, 
a  fine  large  spring  rises,  forming  a  beautiful  lively  stream  of  sufii- 
cient  force  to  work  a  grist  mill.  This  stream  pursues  its  serpentine 
course  through  a  glen  several  hundred  yards  in  width,  of  gradual 


41 


322  APPENDIX. 

descent,  between  the  mountain  and  Falling  Ridge.  Pursuing  its 
course  in  a  northerly  direction  from  its  fountain,  for  about  one  and- 
a-half  miles,  it  makes  a  pretty  sudden  turn  to  the  east,  and  shoots 
over  a  solid  granite  rock  probably  not  less  than  one  hundred  feet 
high.  The  first  eighteen  or  twenty  feet  of  the  rock  over  which  the 
water  passes  is  a  little  sloping,  over  which  the  water  spreads  and 
covers  a  surface  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  feet,  from  wdiich  the  fall  is  en- 
tirely perpendicular,  and  strikes  on  a  mass  of  solid  rock  ;  it  then 
forms  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  rushing  and  foaming  over  an 
undulating  surface  of  about  ninety  or  one  hundred  feet  ;  from  thence 
is  a  third  fall  of  about  the  same  length,  and  then  pitches  into  a 
hole  of  considerable  depth  ;  from  thence  it  escapes  down  a  more 
gradual  descent,  and  suddenly  becomes  a  gentle,  smooth,  placid  cur- 
rent, as  if  it  is  pleased  to  rest  from  the  violent  agitations  and  tur- 
moils through  which  it  had  just  passed.  At  the  first  base  reached 
by  the  water,  a  perpetual  mist  arises,  which,  viewed  on  a  clear  sun- 
shiny day,  presents  to  the  eye  a  most  interesting  and  beautiful 
sight.    The  whole  fall  is  little  if  any  less  than  three  hundred  feet. 

A  short  distance  from  the  south  of  this  place,  at  the  junction  of 
the  Falling  Ridge  with  the  North  Mountain,  is  to  be  seen  what  the 
neighboring  people  call  "  the  Pinnacle."  The  apex  of  this  pinacle 
is  a  flat,  broad  table,  supported  on  a  pivot,  and  can  be  set  in  motion 
by  the  hands  of  a  man,  and  will  continue  to  vibrate  for  several  min- 
utes. There  are  several  small  caverns  in  this  rock,  and  is  known 
to  be  the  abode  of  the  turkey  buzzards  in  the  winter,  v/here  they 
remain  in  a  state  of  torpitude.  Mr.  Russell  informed  the  author 
that  he  once  took  out  a  torpid  buzzard  in  the  winter,  laid  it 
on  the  sunny  side  of  the  rock,  and  it  very  soon  regained  life  and 
motion. 

TROUT  POND. 

In  the  County  of  Hardy,  about  eight  or  nine  miles  south  of  the 
late  residence  of  James  Sterrett,  Esq.,  deceased,  and  a  little  east  of 
Thornbottom,  is  situated  a  most  beautiful  minature  lake,  called  the 
Trout  Pond.  A  large  spring  rises  near  the  summit  of  the  Great 
North  Mountain,  descending  on  the  west  side  into  a  deep  glen,  be- 
tween the  mountain  and  a  very  high  ridge  immediately  east  of 
Thornbottom,  in  which  glen  nature  has  formed  a  receptacle  of  un- 
known depth  for  this  stream  of  water.  This  stream  forms  an  area  of 
about  one  and-a-half  acres,  nearly  an  oblong  square.  Nature  never 
presented  to  the  eye  a  more  perfectly  beautiful  sheet  of  water.  It 
is  as  transparent  as  crystal,  and  abounds  with  fine  trout  fish. 

The  late  Col.  Taverner  Beale,  upwards  of  forty  years  ago,  de- 
scribed this  place  to  the  author,  and  stated  that  he  could  safely 
affirm  that  he  believed  he  had  seen  ten  thousand  trout  at  a  single 
view  in  this  pond.  Col.  Beale  also  informed  the  author  that  him- 
self and  a  friend  of  his  once  made  a  raft,  and  floated  to  the  center  of 


APPENDIX. 


323 


the  pond,  where  they  let  down  a  plumb  and  line,  (the  author  does 
not  now  recollect  the  length  of  the  line,  though,  it  was  certainly 
not  less  than  forty  feet,)  but  did  not  succeed  in  reaching  the  bottom. 
A  Mr.  Gochenour,  who  resides  near  this  place,  informed  the  author 
that  he  had  heard  it  was  fathomed  many  years  ago,  and  was  found 
to  be  sixty  feet  deep,  but  did  not  know  the  certainty  or  truth  of 
this  report.  The  water  is  discharged  at  the  north-east  corner  of  the 
pond,  and  after  descending  about  two  miles,  works  a  saw  mill,  and 
thirty  or  forty  yards  from  the  mill  falls  into  a  sink  and  entirely  dis- 
appears. This  sink  is  in  the  edge  of  Thornbottom,  a  pretty  narrow 
strip  of  limestone  land,  which  affords  between  the  mountains  a 
residence  for  four  or  five  families,  each  of  whom  has  a  fine  spring 
of  water,  all  which,  after  running  a  short  distance,  also  disappear. 
The  stream  of  water  from  the  pond,  doubtless  considerably  increas- 
ed by  the  waters  of  Thornbottom,  again  appears  at  the  northern 
termination  of  a  very  high  ridge  called  *'the  Devil's  garden."  It 
bursts  out  in  one  of  the  largest  springs  the  author  has  ever  seen.  It 
is  said  that  this  subterranean  passage  of  the  water  is  fully  eight 
miles  in  length.  This  spring  is  wuthin  about  one-quarter  of  a  mile 
from  Mt.  Sterrett's  dwelling-house,  and  forms  a  beautiful  stream  of 
w^ater  called  Trout  run,  which  is  a  valuable  tributary  of  the  Capon 
River. 

"The  Devil's  Garden,"  is  truly  a  wonderful  work  of  nature. 
Between  two  lofty  ridges  of  the  Sandy  Ridge  and  North  Mountain 
a  strip  of  ground  about  a  mile  in  width,  commences  rising  gently 
from  the  head  of  Trout  Run,  and  pursued  its  regular  ascent  for  three 
miles,  when  it  abrutly  terminates,  at  its  southern  extremity,  in  a 
vast  pile  of  granite  rocks,  having  a  perpendicular  height  of  some 
four  or  five  hundred  feet.  This  immense  pile  is  entirely  separated 
from  and  independent  of  its  neighboring  mountains,  having  a  vast 
chasm  on  its  tw^o  sides  and  southern  termination.  At  its  south  end 
it  is  covered  with  nearly  level  rocks,  forming  a  floor  of  about  an  acre. 
This  floor  is  curiously  marked  with  fissures  on  the  surface  of  various 
distances  apart.  On  the  eastern  side  stands  a  statue,  or  perhaps 
it  may  more  appropriately  be  called  a  bust,  about  seven  feet  high  ; 
the  head,  neck  and  shoulders  bear  strong  resemblance  to  those  of  a 
man,  and  from  the  breast  downwards  it  gradually  •  enlarges  in  size 
from  two  and-a-half  to  three  feet  in  diameter.  It  is  without  arms. 
It  stands  on  a  level  table  of  rock,  is  of  a  dark  color,  and  presents  to 
the  eye  a  frowning  terrific  appearance.  When  this  singular  curiosi- 
ty was  first  discovered,  some  superstitious  people  concluded  it  was 
the  image  of  the  Devil ;  and  hence  the  name  of  "  The  Devil's  Gar- 
den." Near  his  satanic  majesty  anciently  stood  a  four-square  stone 
pillar,  about  two  and-a-half  feet  in  diameter,  and  ten  or  twelve  feet 
high.  This  pillar  is  broken  off  at  its  base,  crosses  a  chasm, 
and  reclines,  something  in  the  form  of  an  arch  against  the  oppo- 
site rock. 

About  one  hundred  feet  below  the  stand  of  the  statue,  a  door 


■4 


324 


APPENDIX. 


lets  into  the  numf^rous  caverns  in  the  rock,  the  first  of  which  forms 
a  handsome  room  of  moderate  size,  the  floors  above  and  below  being 
tolerably  smooth  and  level.  From  this  room  there  is  a  handsome 
flight  of  stone  steps  ascending  into  a  room  of  larger  size,  until  twelve 
different  apartments  are  passed  through,  and  then  reaches  the  top  of 
the  rocks.  The  late  Mr.  Sterrett,  in  riding  with  the  author  to  view 
this  extraordinary  work  of  nature,  said  that  it  was  difficult  for  an 
old  man  to  get  access  to  the  inlet,  of  course  I  did  not  attempt  it. 
Mr.  Babb,  who  resides  into  its  neighborhood,  informed  the  author 
that  he  had  frequently  explored  the  cavern  ;  and  the  young  people 
of  the  neighborhood,  male  and  female,  frequently,  in  parties  of 
pleasure,  visit  and  pass  through  its  various  apartments. 

LOST  RIVER. 

Here  again  the  eye  is  presented  with  another  evidence  of  the 
all-powerful  arm  of  God  !  This  river  heads  in  several  small  springs, 
on  a  ridge  of  land  on  Brock's  Gap,  which  divides  the  waters  of  the 
North  Fork  of  the  Shenandoah  from  the  waters  of  the  Lost  River. 
This  w^ater  courses  meanders  through  a  beautiful  valley  of  fine  allu- 
vial land,  a  distance  of  about  twenty-five  miles.  On  the  west  side, 
some  ten  or  twelve  miles  below  its  head  spring,  is  a  cavern  at  the 
eastern  base  of  "Lost  River  Mountain,"  which  has  been  explored 
about  one  hundred  yards  (some  say  more)  from  its  mouth.  Over 
the  inlet  is  a  handsomely  turned  arch  twelve  or  fourteen  feet  wide, 
and  six  or  seven  high.  From  this  cavern  is  discharged  a  stream  of 
beautiful  water,  remarkable  for  its  degree  of  coldness.  It  is  called 
' '  the  cold  spring  cave. ' '  The  mouth  of  this  cave  effectually  preserves 
fresh  meats  of  every  kind  from  injury  in  the  hottest  seasons.  This 
cave  exhibits  but  few  curiosities. 

Some  ten  or  twelve  miles  further  down,  the  river  comes  in  con- 
tact with  Lost  River  Mountain,  (which  is  of  considerable  magni- 
tude), has  cut  its  way  through  the  mountain,  and  about  two  miles 
further  down  has  to  encounter  a  second  mountain  called  Timber 
Ridge,  through  which  it  has  forced  its  way,  and  one  and-a-half  or 
two  miles  further  has  to  contend  with  Sandy  Ridge,  a  mountain  of 
considerable  height  and  width.  Here  the  water  and  mountain  appear 
to  have  a  mighty  struggle  for  the  ascendency.  In  flood  times,  Mrs. 
River,  despising  all  obstructions,  forces  her  way  through  a  yawning, 
frowning  chasm.  But  at  times  of  low  water,  when  her  ladyship  is 
less  powerful,  his  giantship,  the  mountain,  defies  all  her  power  to 
remove  a  large  mass  of  adamantine  rocks,  which  obstructs  her  pas- 
sage in  the  gap  ;  but  to  remedy  this  evil,  Mrs.  Rivers  has  adroitly 
and  cunningly  undermined  the  mountain,  formed  for  herself  a  sub- 
terraneous passage,  and  generously  supplied  her  sister  Capon  with 
all  the  water  she  has  to  spare.  It  is  impossible  for  the  inquisitive 
eye  to  view  this  mighty  work  of  nature  without  being  struck  with 
the  idea  of  the  great  obstruction  and  mighty  difficulty  this  water  had 


APPENDIX. 


325 


to  contend  with  in  forcing  a  passage  through  this  huge  mountain. 
The  author  viewed  this  place  with  intense  interest  and  curiosity. 
At  the  western  base  of  the  mountain,  the  water  has  found  various 
aperatures,  one  of  which  is  under  the  point  of  a  rock,  of  seven  or 
eight  feet  wide,  which  appears  to  be  the  largest  inlet.  For  the  dis- 
tance of  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  sink,  not  a  drop  of 
water  is  to  be  seen  in  times  of  drought.  There  are  several  large 
springs  which  issue  from  the  mountain  in  the  gap,  forming  a  small 
stream,  which  always  runs  through  it.  The  water  of  the  river  has 
a  subterraneous  passage  of  full  three  miles,  and  is  discharged  in 
several  very  large  sprmgs  at  the  eastern  base  of  the  mountain. 
These  several  springs  from  the  great  fountain  head  of  Capon  River. 

An  old  man  and  his  son,  (their  names  not  recollected),  whose 
dwelling  is  very  near  the  sink,  related  a  very  singular  occurrence 
which  they  represented  as  having  happened  a  few  days  before  the 
author's  visit  to  this  place.  They  stated  that  several  dogs  were  in 
pursuit  of  a  deer  on  the  mountain,  that  the  deer  ran  to  the  brink  of 
a  rock,  at  least  one  hundred  feet  high,  v/hich  is  very  near  the  sink, 
and  the  poor  animal  being  pretty  closely  pursued,  leaped  from  the 
rock,  and  falling  on  a  very  rough,  stony  surface,  was  terribly 
crushed  and  bruised  by  the  fall,  and  instantl}'  expired.  They  im- 
mediately ran  to  it  and  opened  the  large  veins  in  the  neck,  but  little 
blood  was  discharged.  They  took  off  the  skin  and  cut  up  the  flesh  ; 
but  most  parts  of  it  were  so  much  bruised  and  mangled  as  to  be  un- 
fit for  use. 

Capon  River  exhibits  several  great  natural  curiosities.  Near 
its  head  waters  is  a  rock  called  The  Alum  Rock,"  from  which 
exudes  native  alum,  and  forms  a  beautiful  incrustation  on 
its  face,  which  the  neighboring  people  collect  in  rather  small 
quantities,  but  often  sufficient  for  their  domestic  purposes  of  stain- 
ing their  clothes. 

About  two  miles  above  the  Forks  of  this  River  is  situated 
*' Candy's  Castle,"  a  most  stupendous  work  of  nature.  It  is  said 
by  tradition  that  in  the  time  of  the  wars  between  the  white  and  red 
people,  a  man  by  the  name  of  James  Caudy,  more  than  once  took 
shelter  on  the  rock  from  the  pursuit  of  the  Indians,  from  whence  its 
name.  It  consists  of  a  fragment  of  the  mountain,  separated  and  in- 
dependent of  the  neighboring  mountains,  forming,  as  it  were,  a  half 
cone,  and  surrounded  with  a  yawning  chasm.  Its  eastern  base, 
washed  by  the  Capon  River,  rises  to  the  majestic  height  of  four  hun- 
dred and  fifty  to  five  hundred  feet,  while  its  eastern  side  is  a  solid 
mass  of  granite,  directly  perpendicular.  A  line  drawn  round  its 
base  probably  would  not  exceed  one  thousand  or  twelve  hundred 
yards.  From  its  western  side  it  may  be  ascended  by  man  on  foot  to 
within  about  ninety  or  one  hundred  feet  of  its  summit.  From  thence 
the  rock  suddenly  shoots  up  something  in  the  form  of  a  comb, which 
is  about  ninety  or  one  hundred  feet  in  length,  eight  or  ten  feet  in 
thickness,  and  runs  about  north  and  south.    On  the  eastern  face  of 


326 


APPENDIX. 


the  rock,  from  where  the  comb  is  approached,  a  very  narrow  undu- 
lating path  is  formed,  by  pursuing  which,  active  persons  can  ascend 
to  its  summit.  The  author  called  on  Mr.  John  Largent,  (from 
whom  he  received  much  kindness  and  attention)  and  requested  Mr.  ' 
Largent  to  be  his  pilot,  which  request  was  readily  acceded  to.  Mr. 
Largent 's  residence  is  less  than  a  half  a  mile  from  the  spot.  In  his 
company  the  author  undertook  to  ascend  this  awful  precipice. 
Along  the  path  a  few  laurel  shrubs  have  grown  out  of  the  fissures  of 
the  rock.  With  the  aid  of  the  shrubbery,  the  author  succeeded  in  ' 
following  Mr  Largent  until  they  reached  within  twent}^  or  twenty- 
five  feet  of  the  summit,  where  they  found  a  flat  table,  four  or  five 
feet  square,  on  which  a  pine  tree  of  five  or  six  inches  in  diameter 
has  grown  some  ten  or  twelve  feet  high.  This  afforded  a  convenient 
resting  place.  By  supporting  myself  with  one  arm  around  the  body 
of  the  tree,  and  a  cane  in  the  other  hand,  I  ventured  several  times  to 
look  down  the  precipice,  but  it  produced  a  disagreeable  giddiness 
and  painful  sensation  of  the  eyes.  From  this  elevated  situation  an 
extensive  view  of  what  is  called  the  White  Mountain  presents  it- 
self for  a  considerable  distance,  on  the  east  side  of  Capon  River. 
The  beautiful  whiteness  of  this  mountain  is  produced  by  a  consider- 
able intermixture  of  fine  white  sand  with  rocks,  which  almost 
exclusively  form  the  west  side  of  the  Capon  Mountain  for  several 
miles. 

Nine  or  ten  miles  belov/  this  place,  in  a  deep  rugged  glen  three 
or  four  miles  east  of  Capon,  on  the  west  side  of  the  mountain,  the 
''Tea  Table"  is  to  be  seen,  than  which  nature  in  her  most  sportive 
mood  has  seldom  performed  a  more  beautiful  work.  This  table  pre- 
sents the  form  of  a  man's  hat,  with  the  crown  turned  downwards. 
The  stem  (if  it  may  be  so  termed)  is  about  four  feet  in  diameter  and 
about  four  feet  high.  An  oval  brim,  some  seven  or  eight  feet  in 
diameter,  and  seven  or  eight  inches  thick,  is  formed  around 
the  top  of  the  stem,  through  which  a  circular  tube  rises  twelve 
or  fourteen  inches  in  diameter.  Through  this  tube  a  beautiful 
stream  of  transparent  water  arises,  and  regularly  flows  over  the 
whole  surface  of  this  large  brim,  presenting  to  the  eye  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  fountains  in  nature's  work. 

ICE  MOUNTAIN. 

This  most  extraordinary  and  wonderful  work  of  God's  creation 
certainly  deserves  the  highest  rank  in  the  histor}^  of  the  natural  curi- 
osities of  our  countr3\  This  mountain  is  washed  at  its  western  base 
by  the  North  River,  a  branch  of  the  Capon.  It  is  not  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  north  of  the  residence  of  Christopher  Heiskell, 
Esq.,  at  North  River  Mills,  in  the  County  of  Hampshire,  twenty- 
six  miles  northwest  of  Winchester.  The  west  side  of  thism^ountain, 
for  about  one  mile,  is  covered  with  loose  stone  of  various  size,  many 
of  which  are  of  a  diamond  shape.    It  is  probably  six  or  seven  hun- 


APPENDIX. 


327 


dred  feet  high,  very  steep,  and  presents  to  the  eye  a  most  grand  and 
sublime  spectacle. 

At  the  base  of  the  mountain,  on  the  western  side,  for  a  distance 
of  about  one  hundred  3-ards.  and  ascending  some  twenty-five  or 
thirty  feet,  on  removing  the  loose  stone,  which  is  easily  done  with  a 
small  prise,  the  most  perfectly  pure  and  cr3^stal  looking  ice,  at  all  sea- 
sons of  the  year,  is  to  be  found,  in  blocks  from  one  or  two  pounds  to 
fifteen  or  tw^enty  in  weight.  At  the  base  of  this  bed  of  ice  a  beau- 
ful  spring  of  pure  water  is  discharged,  w^hich  is  by  many  degrees 
colder  than  any  natural  spring  water  the  author  has  ever  seen.  It 
is  believed  that  its  natural  temperature  is  not  many  degree  sabove 
freezing.  Near  this  spring  the  owner  of  the  property  has  removed  the 
stone,  and  erected  a  small  log  dairy,  for  the  preservation  of  his  milk, 
butter  and  fresh  meats.  When  the  author  saw  this  little  building, 
which  was  late  in  the  month  of  April,  the  openings  between  the  logs 
(on  the  side  next  the  cavity  from  which  the  stone  had  been  taken 
out),  for  eighteen  inches  or  two  feet  from  the  floor  was  completely 
filled  with  ice,  and  above,  one-half  the  floor  v/as  covered  with  ice 
several  inches  thick.  This  is  the  most  remarkable  from  its  being  a 
known  fact  that  the  sun  shines  with  all  its  force  from  eight  or  nine 
o'clock  in  the  morning  until  late  in  the  evening,  on  the  surface  cov- 
ering the  ice,  but  the  latter  defies  its  power.  Mr.  Deevers,  who  is 
the  owner  of  the  propert}^  informed  the  author  that  milk,  butter,  or 
fresh  meats  of  ever}^  kind,  are  perfectly  safe  from  injury  for  almost 
any  length  of  time  in  the  hottest  weather.  If  a  fly  ventured  in,  he 
is  immediately  stiffened  with  the  cold  and  becomes  torpid,  If  a 
snake  in  his  rambles  happens  to  pass  over  the  rocks  covering  the  ice, 
he  soon  looses  all  his  motion,  and  dies.  Christopher  Heiskell,  Esq., 
informed  the  author  that  several  instances  had  occurred  of  the  snakes 
being  found  dead  among  the  rocks  covering  the  ice.  An  intelligent 
young  lady  at  the  same  time  stated  that  she  had  seen  instances  of 
this  character.  In,  truth  it  was  upon  her  first  suggesting  the  fact, 
that  the  author  was  led  to  make  inquir}^  of  Mr.  Heiskill.  Mr. 
Deevers  stated  that  he  had  several  times  removed  torpid  flies  from 
his  dairy  into  a  more  temperate  atmosphere,  when  they  soon  recov- 
ered life  and  motion  and  flew  off. 

Nature  certainly  never  formed  a  better  situation  for  a  fine  dairy 
establishment.  But  it  will  probably  be  asked  by  some  persons, 
where  is  the  milk  to  come  from  to  furnish  it  ?  The  time  will  proba- 
bly come,  and  perhaps  it  is  not  very  distant,  when  our  mountains 

*The  neighboring  people  assert,  that  at  the  setting  in  of  the  winter  sea- 
son, the  ice  commences  melting,  and  soon  disappears,  not  a  particle  of 
which  is  to  be  found  while  the  winter  remains.  If  this  be  true,  it  renders 
this  place  still  more  remarkable  and  extraordinary.  The  order  of  nature, 
in  this  immediate  locality,  seems  to  be  reversed  ;  for,  when  it  is  summer  all 
around  this  singular  spot,  here  it  is  covered  with  the  ice  of  winter,  and  vice 
versa.  We  cannot  account  for  this  effect,  except  the  cause  be  some  chemi- 
cal laboratory  under  the  surface,  operating  from  the  influence  of  the  extern- 
al atmosphere,  but  in  opposition  to  it, 


328 


APPENDIX. 


will  be  turned  to  good  account.  Their  sources  of  wealth  are  not  yet 
known  ;  but  the  sfirit  of  enterprise  and  industry  is  abroad,  and  the 
present  generation  will  hardly  pass  away  before  most  astonishing 
changes  will  be  seen  in  every  part  of  our  happy  country. 

THE  HANGING  ROCKS. 

These,  or,  as  they  are  sometimes  called,  Blue's  Rocks,"  are 
another  wonderful  work  of  nature.  They  are  situated  on  the  Wap- 
patomaka,  about  four  miles  north  of  Romney,  the  seat  of  justice  for 
the  County  of  Hampshire.  The  author  has  several  times  viewed 
this  place  with  excited  feelings  and  admiration.  The  river  has  cut 
its  way  through  a  mountain  probably  not  less  than  five  hundred  feet 
high.  By  what  extraordinary  agency  it  has  been  able  to  do  this,  it 
is  impossible  to  conceive,  unless  we  look  to  that  almighty  power  whose 
arm  effects  all  his  great  objects  at  pleasure.  On  the  east  of  the  river 
is  a  huge  mass  of  rocks  which  forms  a  perpendicular  wall  several 
3^ards  in  length,  and  not  less  than  three  hundred  feet  high.  The 
opposite  point  of  the  mountain  is  more  sloping,  and  may  be  ascended 
by  a  man  on  foot.  On  the  top  of  the  mountain  is  a  level  bench  of 
land,  pretty  clear  of  stone,  and  fine  rich  soil,  upwards  of  one  hun- 
dred yards  in  width  ;  but,  from  the  difficulty  of  approaching  it,  it 
remains  in  a  state  of  nature.  It  would,  if  it  could  be  brought  into 
cultivation,  doubtless  well  reward  the  husbandman  for  his  labors. 

The  public  road,  leading  from  Romney  into  the  great  western 
highway,  passes  between  the  margin  of  the  river  and  the  great 
natural  wall  formed  by  the  rocks.  The  center  of  the  rocks  for  about 
eighty  or  one  hundred  yards,  is  composed  of  fine  gray  limestone, 
while  on  each  side  are  the  common  granite  mountain  stone. 

The  reader  will  recollect  that  this  is  the  place  where  a  most 
bloody  battle  was  fought  between  contending  parties  of  the  Ca- 
tawba and  Delav^'are  Indians,  noticed  in  a  preceding  chapter  of  this 
volume. 

One  other  natural  curiosity  remains  to  be  noticed,  and  that  is, 
what  is  called  the  "  Butterfi}^  Rocks."  These  rocks  are  to  be  seen 
in  Fry's  Cap,  on  Cedar  Creek,  in  the  County  of  Frederick.  The 
whole  mass  of  rocks  are  intermixed  with  petrified  flies,  of  various 
sizes.  The  entire  shape  of  the  wings,  body,  legs,  head,  and  even 
the  eyes  of  the  flies,  are  distinctly  to  be  discovered.  The  rocks  are 
of  deep  brown  color,  and  of  the  slate  species. 

The  author  will  conclude  this  section  with  a  brief  notice  of  an 
avalanche  or  mountain  slide,  which  he  has  omitted  to  notice  in  its 
proper  place.  In  the  month  of  June,  in  the  remarkable  wet  spring 
and  summer  of  the  year  1804,  during  a  most  tremendous  and  awful 
flood  of  rain,  near  the  summit  of  the  Little  North  Mountain,  a  vast 
volume  of  water  suddenly  gushed  from  the  eastern  side,  and  rapidly 
descending,  with  its  tremendous  current,  tore  away  every  tree,  of 
whatever  size,  rocks  of  eight  or  ten  tons  weight,  hurling  them  into 


APPENDIX. 


329 


the  level  lands  below,  and  threatening  desolation  and  destruction  to 
ever3'thing  which  was  within  the  limits  of  the  vortex.  In  its  pas- 
sage down  the  mountain  it  opened  a  chasm  from  ten  to  fifteen  j^ards 
in  width,  and  from  eight  or  ten  to  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  in  depth. 
The  farm  of  Mr.  David  Funkhouser,  which  the  flood  took  in 
its  course,  was  greatly  injured,  and  a  beautiful  meadow  covered  over 
with  the  wood,  stone,  and  other  rubbish.  The  flood  ran  into  the 
lower  floor  of  his  dwelling-house,  the  foundation  of  which  is  elevat- 
ed at  least  three  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  ground.  This  rent  in 
the  side  of  the  mountain,  at  the  distance  of  five  or  six  miles,  pre- 
sented for  many  years  the  appearance  of  a  very  wide  road.  It  is 
now  grown  up  thickly  with  young  pine  timber,  and  so  crowded  that 
there  is  scarcely  room  for  a  man  to  pass  between  them. 


42 


330 


APPENDIX. 


CHAPTER  III. 

MEDICINAL  SPRINGS — WATERING  PLACES. 

Our  country  abounds  in  medicinal  waters.  Numerous  Sulphur 
Springs  exist,  particularly  in  the  slate  lands  and  mountains. 
Springs,  of  various  qualities  of  water,  are  also  to  be  seen,  several  of 
which  are  remarkable  for  their  superior  virtues  in  the  cure  of  the 
various  disorders  of  the  human  body. 

It  is  not  within  the  plan  of  this  work  to  notice  all  the  medicinal 
springs  which  the  author  has  seen  and  heard  of.  He  will  content 
himself  with  a  brief  account  of  those  deemed  most  valuable,  begin- 
ning with  Bath  in  the  County  of  Morgan. 

This  is  doubtless  the  most  ancient  watering  place  in  the  Valley. 
Tradition  relates  that  those  springs  were  known  to  the  Indians  as 
possessing  valuable  medical  properties,  and  were  much  frequented  by 
them.  The}^  were  ancientl}^  called  the  "  Berkeley  Warm  Springs," 
and  have  aiways  kept  their  character  for  their  medical  virtues.  They 
are  much  resorted  to,  not  onl}^  for  their  value  as  medical  waters,  but 
as  a  place  (in  the  season)  of  recreation  and  pleasure.  Bath  has  be- 
come a  considerable  village,  is  the  seat  of  justice  for  Morgan  coun- 
ty, and  nas  several  stores  and  boarding  houses.  It  is  too  publicly 
known  to  require  further  notice  in  this  work. 

SHANNONDALE. 

It  is  not  more  than  twelve  or  fourteen  years  since  this  spring 
was  first  resorted  to  as  a  watering  place,  though  it  was  known  for 
some  years  before  to  possess  some  peculiar  medicinal  qualities.  A 
few  extraordinary  cures  were  effected  by  the  use  of  the  water,  of  ob- 
stinate scorbutic  complaints,  and  it  suddenly  acquired  a  high  repu- 
tation. A  company  of  gentlemen  in  its  neighborhood  joined  and 
purchased  the  site,  and  forthwith  erected  a  large  brick  boarding- 
house,  and  ten  or  twelve  small  buildings  for  the  accommodation 
of  visitors.  For  several  years  it  held  a  high  rank  among  our  water- 
ing places. 

SALUS  SPRINGS,  COMMONLY  CALLED  BOND'S  SPRINGS. 

These  are  situated  between  the  Little  North  Mountain  and 
Paddy's  Mountain,  forming  the  head  fountain  of  Cedar  Creek,  and 


APPENDIX.  .  331 

about  twenty-eight  or  thirt}^  miles  southwest  of  Winchester,  and 
seven  or  eight  miles  northwest  of  Woodstock.  These  springs  are 
acquiring  a  high  character  for  their  valuable  medical  qualities,  though 
it  is  only  four  or  five  years  since  they  have  been  resorted  to.  It  is 
well  ascertained  that  the  water  from  at  least  one  of  them  has  the 
powerful  quality  of  expelling  the  bots  from  the  horse. 

Another  of  the  springs  is  called  The  Poison  Spring,"  and  it  is 
asserted  by  the  people  of  the  neighborhood  that  by  drinking  the 
water  freely,  and  bathing  the  part  wounded,  it  will  immediately  cure 
the  bite  of  any  poisonous  snake. 

There  are  five  or  six  beautiful  transparent  springs  within  a  cir- 
cumference of  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  yards,  several 
of  which  are  yet  unimproved.  Nature  has  seldom  done  more  for  an 
advantageous  w^atering-place  than  she  has  exhibited  at  these  springs. 
No  place  the  author  has  ever  seen  presents  more  conveniences  for  the 
construction  of  baths.  One  of  the  springs  is  discharged  from  an  ele- 
vated point  of  a  ridge,  and  has  fall  and  water  enough  to  construct 
any  reasonable  number  of  shower  baths.  It  is  asserted  by  those 
who  attend  the  springs,  that  several  great  cures  of  obstinate  scor- 
butic corn-plaints  have  been  made  by  the  use  of  the  water.  One 
remarkable  instance  was  related  to  the  author.  A  little  boy,  of 
eight  or  nine  years  of  age,  had  become  dreadfully  disordered  by 
eruptions  all  over  his  body,  which  formed  large  running  ulcers. 
The  complaint  baffled  all  the  efforts  of  the  most  skillful  physicians 
in  the  neighborhood,  and  continued  for  about  twelve  months,  when 
the  child's  life  was  dispaired  of.  An  uncle  of  the  child,  who  was 
acquainted  with  the  valuable  quality  of  these  waters,  took  him  to 
the  springs,  and  by  repeatedly  washing  his  body  with  the  water  of 
the  poison  spring,  and  also  has  freely  drinking  it,  in  ten  or  twelve 
days  the  child  was  perfectly  cured,  and  has  ever  since  remained  in 
fine  health.  W^ithin  one  and-a-quarter  miles  from  this  place  there 
is  a  fine  white  sulphur  spring,  which  is  said  to  possess  very  active 
cathartic  qualities.  It  is  also  said  that  the  water  has  a  sweetish 
taste,  and  is  by  some  called  the  sweet  sulphur  spring.  The  water 
has  a  pure  crystal  look,  and  is  discharged  from  a  spring  at  the  base 
of  Paddy's  Mountain.  Plunging  baths  may  be  multiplied  at  pleas- 
ure. The  waters  are  pretty  cool  ;  a  handsome  bath-house  is  erected, 
and  the  visitors  use  it  freely. 

Sixteen  neat  looking  dwelling-houses  have  been  erected  by  as 
many  proprietors  within  the  last  four  or  five  years  ;  but  unfortun- 
ately there  is  no  regular  boarding-house  established,  which  has  here- 
tofore prevented  much  resort  to  this  place.  In  the  hands  of  a  man 
of  capital  and  enterprise,  it  doubtless  might  be  made  one  of  the 
most  charming  rural  summer  retreats  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  It 
has  the  advantage  of  a  most  beautiful  summer  road  much  the  greater 
part  of  the  whole  route  from  Winchester  ;  what  is  called  Frye's 
Gap,  within  twelve  miles  of  Winchester,  being  by  far  the  w^orst  part 
of  it ;  and  an  excellent  road  can  be  made  at  inconsiderable  expense 


332  APPENDIX. 

across  the  Little  North  Mountain.  Travelers  passing  up  and  down 
the  Valley,  would  in  the  summer  season  find  this  a  delightful  rest- 
ing place,  if  it  was  put  in  a  proper  state  of  improvement  for  their 
accommodation,  nor  is  it  more  than  seven  or  eight  miles  out  of  the 
direct  road.  The  present  buildings  are  arranged  so  as  to  leave  in  the 
center  a  beautiful  grove  of  j^oung  oak  and  other  timber,  which  af- 
fords a  lovely  shade  in  hot  weather.  Near  Capt.  J.  Bond's  dwelling- 
house,  within  three  hundred  yards  of  the  mineral  springs,  there  is 
fine  large  limestone  spring. 

ORKNEY  SPRINGS,  COMMONIvY  CAIvLKD  YKI^IvOW  SPRINGS. 

These  Springs  are  near  the  head  waters  of  Stony  Creek,  about 
seventeen  or  eighteen  miles  southwest  of  Woodstock.  The  waters 
are  composed  of  several  lively  springs,  are  strong  chalybeate,  and 
probably  impregnated  with  some  other  mineral  besides  iron.  Every 
thing  the  water  passes  through  or  over  is  beautifully  lined  with  a 
bright  yellow  fringe  of  moss.  The  use  of  this  water  is  found  very 
beneficial  for  the  cure  of  several  complaints.  There  are  ten  or  twelve 
small  buildings  erected  by  the  neighboring  people  for  their  private 
accommodation. 

The  author  visited  this  watering  place  about  four  years  ago. 
A  Mr.  Kaufman  had  brought  with  him,  the  day  preceding,  the 
material  for  a  small  framed  dwelling-house.  He  reached  the 
place  early  in  the  day,  raised  his  house,  and  the  shingles  and 
w^eatherboarding  nailed  on,  the  floor  laid,  and  doors  hung,  and 
ate  his  dinner  in  it  the  next  day  at  one  o'clock.  The  author  had 
the  pleasure  of  dining  with  the  old  gentlemen  and  lady,  when  they 
both  communicated  the  foregoing  statement  of  facts  to  him.  A 
free  use  of  this  water  acts  as  a  most  powerful  cathartic,  as  does 
also  a  small  quantity  of  the  fringe  or  moss  mixed  with  any  other 
kind  of  water. 

CAPON  SPRINGS,  MORK  PROPKRI.Y  FRYK'S  SPRINGS. 

The  late  Henry  Frye,  of  Capon,  upwards  of  forty  years  ago, 
informed  the  author  that  he  was  the  first  discoverer  of  the  valuable 
properties  of  this  celebrated  watering  place.  He  stated  that  he  was 
hunting,  and  killed  a  large  bear  on  the  side  of  the  mountain  near  the 
springs,  and  becoming  dry,  he  descended  the  glen  in  search  of  water, 
where  he  found  a  large  spring,  but  it  was  thickly  covered  with  moss 
and  other  rubbage  ;  on  removing  which,  he  drank  of  the  water,  and 
found  it  disagreeably  warm.  It  at  once  occurred  that  it  possessed 
some  valuable  medical  qualities.  The  next  summer  his  wife  got  into 
bad  health,  and  was  afflicted  with  rheumatic  and  probably  other  de- 
bilitating disorders.  He  went  and  cleared  out  the  spring,  erected  a 
small  cabin,  removed  his  wife  there,  and  remained  four  or  five 
weeks,  when  the  use  of  the  waters  had  restored  his  wife  to  a  state 


APPENDIX, 


333 


of  fine  health.  From  this  occurrence  it  took  the  name  of  Frye's 
Springs,"  and  was  called  by  that  name  for  many  years.  By  what 
whim  or  caprice  the  name  was  changed  to  that  of  "Capon,"  the 
author  cannot  explain.  It  is  situated  four  miles  east  of  Capon  River, 
and  with  what  propriety  it  has  taken  the  name  of  that  River,  the 
reader  can  as  readily  determine  as  the  author.  This  place  is  too 
publicly  known  to  require  a  minute  description  in  this  work  ;  sufiice 
it  to  say,  that  it  is  located  in  a  deep  narrow  glen,  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Great  North  Mountain.  The  road  across  the  mountain  is 
rugged  and  disagreeable  to  travel,  but  money  is  now  raising  by  lot- 
tery to  improve  it.  The  trustees  for  several  years  past  have  imposed 
a  pretty  heavy  tax  upon  visitors  for  the  use  of  the  w^aters.  This 
tax  is  intended  to  raise  funds  for  keeping  the  baths,  &c.,  in 
repair.  There  are  seventeen  or  eighteen  houses  erected  without 
much  regard  to  regularity,  and  a  boarding  establishment  capable 
of  accommodating  some  fifty  or  sixty  visitors,  which  is  kept  in  ex- 
cellent style. 

The  waters  at  this  place  are  a  few  degrees  cooler  than  the 
waters  of  Bath  ;  but  it  is  believed  by  many  that  they  possess  some 
qualities  far  more  powerful.  There  is  no  fact  better  known,  than 
that  exclusive  use  of  the  water  for  five  or  six  days,  (like  the  waters 
of  Salus),  will  expel  the  bots  from  horses.  The  place  is  twenty-two 
miles  southwest  of  Winchester. 

WHITE  SUI.PHUR  SPRING,   HOWARD'S  I.ICK. 

This  fine  White  Sulphur  Spring  lies  about  four  miles  w^est  of 
Lost  River,  in  a  most  romantic  retired  glen  in  the  mountains.  It  is 
almost  wholly  in  a  state  of  nature,  the  nearest  dwelling-house  to  it 
being  about  two  miles,  and  is  but  little  known  and  resorted  to  as  a 
watering  place.  The  spring  has  been  cleaned  out,  and  a  small  cri- 
cular  wall  placed  around  it,  and  a  beautiful  lively  stream  of  water 
discharged.  It  would  probably  require  a  tube  of  one  and-a-half 
inches  diameter  to  vent  the  water.  Every  thing  the  water  passes 
over  or  touches  is  pretty  thickly  incrusted  with  pure  white  sulphur.  - 
The  water  is  highly  impregnated  as  to  be  quite  unpleasant  to  the 
taste,  and  can  be  smelled  thirty  or  forty  feet  from  the  spring.  The 
use  of  the  water  is  found  very  efiicacious  in  several  complaints,  par- 
ticularly in  autumnal  bilious  fevers.  The  people  in  the  neighbor- 
hood say,  that  persons  attacked  with  bilious  complaints,  by  a  single 
dose  of  Epsom  Salts,  worked  off  with  this  water,  in  three  or  four 
days  are  entirely  relieved  and  restored  to  health.  The  author  can- 
not pretend  to  express  his  own  opinion  of  the  valuable  properties  of 
this  water,  merely  having  seen  it  as  a  transient  passenger.  But  he 
has  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  it  presents  to  the  eye  the  appearance 
of  by  far  the  most  valuable  sulphur  water  he  has  ever  yet  seen. 
There  is  level  land  enough  around  it  for  the  erection  of  buildings 
sufficient  for  the  accommodation  of  a  great  many  visitors.    A  fine  * 


334 


APPENDIX. 


and  convenient  road  can  be  had  to  it  from  Lost  River,  a  gap  in  the 
mountain  leading  to  it  being  generally  quite  level,  and  wide  enough 
for  the  purpose.  It  is  probably  twenty-three  or  twenty-four  miles 
southwest  of  Capon  Springs. 

paddy's  gap,  or  maure:r's  whitk  suIvPhur  spring. 

This  is  a  small  pure  White  Sulphur  Spring,  and  is  said  to  pos- 
sess valuable  medicinal  qualities,  It  lies  in  Paddy's  Gap,  about  half 
way  between  Capon  and  Salus  Springs. 

PEMBROKE  SPRINGS. 

These  are  situated  about  one  mile  south  of  the  residence  of 
Moses  Russell,  Esq.,  seventeen  miles  northwest  of  Winchester.  The 
water  are  considered  too  cool  to  bathe  in.  A  bath  house  has  been 
erected,  but  it  is  little  used.  The  waters  are  pure  and  salubrious, 
discharged  from  the  base  of  the  North  Mountain,  and  if  good  accom- 
modations were  kept,  it  would  doubtless  become  a  resting  place  for 
travelers  in  the  season  for  visiting  the  Capon  Springs.  Mr.  George 
Ritenour  has  lately  erected  a  tannery  at  this  place,  and  it  will  proba- 
bly become  a  place  of  business. 

WIIvLlAMS'S  WHITE  SUI.PHUR  SPRINGS,  FORMERI.Y  DUVAI.I,. 

These  are  situated  about  six  miles  northeast  of  Winchester.  A 
commodious  boarding-house  has  been  erected  by  Mr.  Williams,  who 
is  going  on  yearly  with  additional  improvement,  to  meet  the  increas- 
ing popularity  of  the  establishment. 

There  are  three  or  four  other  sulphur  springs  which  were  form- 
erly places  of  considerable  resort,  but  they  have  fallen  into  disre- 
pute. The  author  therefore  considers  it  unnecessary  to  give  them 
any  particular  notice  in  this  work.  Many  chalybeate  springs  are  to 
be  met  with  in  our  mountains,  but  it  is  not  deemed  necessary  to 
describe  them. 

GRAY  EARTH. 

The  author  will  conclude  with  a  brief  notice  of  a  light  gray 
earth  of  singular  texture,  and  probably  containing  some  highly 
valuable  properties.  A  considerable  bank  of  this  earth  or  clay  is  to 
be  seen  about  two  miles  below  Salus  Springs.  When  dissolved  in 
water  it  makes  a  beautiful  whitewash,  and  is  said  to  be  more  adhe- 
sive than  lime.  It  is  remarkably  soft,  being  easily  cut  with  a  knife, 
has  an  unctuous  or  rather  soapy  feel  when  pressed  between  the  fing- 
ers, and  when  mixed  with  a  small  quantity  of  water,  forms  a  tough 
adhesive  consistence,  very  much  resembling  dough  made  of  wheat 
flour. 


APPENDIX. 


335 


The  author,  when  he  first  heard  of  this  bank  of  earth,  conclud- 
ed it  was  probably  Fuller's  Earth,  so  highly  prized  by  the  manufac- 
turers of  cloth,  &c.,  in  England  ;  but  upon  an  examination  of  it,  it 
does  not  appear  to  answer  the  description  given  by  chemists  of  that 
earth.  It  is  highly  probable  that  it  would  be  found  a  most  valuable 
manure,  and  in  all  likelihood  would  on  trial  make  a  beautiful  ware 
of  the  pottery  kind  for  domestic  use.  It  would  in  the  opinion  of  the 
writer,  be  well  worth  w^hile  for  manufactures  and  others  to  visit 
this  place,  and  examine  for  themselves.  The  author  has  no  preten- 
sions to  a  knowledge  of  chemistry,  and  therefore  cannot  give  any- 
thing like  an  analytical  description  of  the  singular  and  curious  kind 
of  earth. 


I 


i 


336 


APPENDIX. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  YvEYKR'S  CA\^. 
BY  R.  I..  COOKE,  A.  M. 

Weyer's  Cave  is  situated  near  the  northern  extremit}^  of  Augus- 
ta count}^,  Va.,  seventeen  miles  northeast  of  Staunton,  on  the  east- 
ern side  of  the  ridge  running  nearly  north  and  east  parallel  to  the 
Blue  Ridge,  and  some  what  more  than  two  miles  distant  from  it. 

The  w^estern  declivity  of  this  ridge  is  very  gradual,  and  the  visi- 
tor, as  he  approaches  from  the  direction,  little  imagines  from  its  ap- 
pearance that  it  embowels  one  of  Nature's  masterpieces.  The 
eastern  declivity,  however,  is  quite  precipitous  and  difficult  of 
ascent. 

The  Guide's  house  is  situated  on  the  northern  extremity  of 
this  ridge,  and  is  distant  eight  hundred  yards  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Cave.  In  going  from  the  house  to  the  Cave,  you  pass  the  en- 
trance of  Madison's  Cave,  w^hicli  is  two  hundred  and  twenty  j^ards 
from  the  other.  Madison's  Cave  was  known  and  visited  as  a  curi- 
osity, long  before  the  discovery  of  Weyer's,  but  it  is  now  passed  by 
and  neglected,  as  unworthy  of  notice,  compared  with  its  more  im- 
posing rival,  although  it  had  had  the  pen  of  a  Jefferson  of  describe 
its  beauties. 

Let  me  remark  here,  that  the  incurious  visitor,  who  goes  because 
others  go,  and  is  but  slightly  interested  in  the  mysteries  of  Nature, 
may  retain  his  usual  dress  when  he  enters  the  Cave  vv^hich  I  am  at- 
tempting to  describe  ;  but  if  he  is  desirous  of  prying  into  every  re- 
cess, climbing  every  accessible  precipice,  and  seeing  all  the  beauties 
of  this  subterranean  wonder,  I  would  advise  him  to  provide  himself 
with  such  habiliments  as  will  withstand  craggy  projections,  or  re- 
ceive no  detriment  from  a  generous  coating  of  mud. 

The  ascent  from  the  bottom  of  the  hill  to  the  mouth  of  the  Cave 
is  steep,  but  is  rendered  less  fatiguing,  by  the  zigzag  course  of  the 
path,  which  is  one  hundred  yards  in  length. 

Before  entering  the  Cave,  let  us  rest  ourselves  on  the  benches 
before  the  door,  that  we  may  become  perfectly  cool,  while  the 
Guide  unlocks  the  door,  strikes  a  light  and  tells  the  story  of  its  first 
discovery. 

It  seems  that  about  the  year  1804,  one  Bernard  Weyer  ranged 
these  hill  as  a  hunter.    While  pursuing  his  daily  vocation,  he  found 


APPENDIX. 


337 


liis  match  in  a  lawless  Ground  Hog,  which  not  onlj^  eluded  all  his 
efforts,  but  eventually  succeeded  in  carrying  off  the  traps  which  had 
been  set  for  his  capture.  Enraged  at  the  loss  of  his  traps  he 
made  an  assault  upon  the  domicil  of  the  depredator,  with  spade  and 
mattock. 

A  few  moments  labor  brought  him  to  the  ante-chamber  of  this 
stupenduous  Cavern,  where  he  found  his  traps  safely  deposited. 

The  entrance  originall}^  was  small  and  difficult  of  access  ;  but 
the  enterprise  of  the  proprietor  has  obviated  these  inconveniences  ; 
it  is  now  enclosed  b}^  a  wooden  wall,  having  a  door  in  the  center, 
which  admits  you  to  the  Ante-Chamber. 

At  first  it  is  about  eight  feet  in  height,  but  after  proceeding  a 
fev/  3'ards,  in  a  S.  W.  direction,  it  becomes  contracted  to  the  space 
of  three  or  four  feet  square. 

At  the  distance  of  twenty-four  feet  from  the  entrance,  descend- 
ing at  an  angle  of  nineteen  degrees,  3'ou  reach  the  Dragon's  Room, 
so  called  from  a  stalactitic  concretion,  which  the  nomenclator  un- 
doubtedly supposed  to  resemble  that  nondescript  animal. 

Above  the  Dragon's  Room  there  is  an  opening  of  considerable 
beauty,  but  of  small  size,  called  the  Devil's  Gallery. 

Leaving  this  room,  which  is  not  very  interesting,  you  proceed 
in  a  more  southerly  direction,  to  the  entrance  of  Solomon's  Temple, 
through  a  high  but  narrow  passage,  sixty-six  feet  in  length,  which 
is  by  no  means  difficult  of  access.  Here  you  make  a  perpendicular 
descent  of  thirteen  feet,  by  means  of  an  artificial  bank  of  earth  and 
rock,  and  you  find  yourself  into  one  of  the  finest  rooms  in  the  w^hole 
cave.  It  is  irregular  in  shape,  being  thirty  feet  long  and  forty-five 
broad,  running  at  nearly  right  angles  to  the  main  course  of  the  cave. 
As  you  raise  you  eyes,  after  descending  the  bank  before  mentioned, 
the^^  rest  upon  an  elevated  seat,  surrounded  by  sparry  incrustations, 
which  sparkle  beautifully  in  the  light  of  your  candles. 

This  is  not  unaptly  styled  Solomon's  Throne.  Every  thing  in 
this  room,  receives  its  name  from  the  Wise  Man,  immediately  to  the 
left  of  the  steps,  as  5^ou  descend,  j^ou  will  find  his  meat-house,  and 
at  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  room,  is  a  beautiful  pillar  of  white 
stalactitic,  somewhat  defaced  by  the  smoke  of  candles,  called  b}^  his 
name.  With  strange  inconsistency,  an  incrustation  resembling  fall- 
ing water,  at  the  right  of  the  steps,  has  obtained  the  name  of  the 
Falls  of  Niagara. 

Passing  Solomon's  Pillar  here,  you  enter  another  room,  more 
irregular  than  the  first,  but  still  more  beautiful.  It  would  be  im- 
possible adequately  to  describe  the  magnificence  of  this  room.  I 
shall  therefore  merely  observe,  that  it  is  thickly  studded  with  beau- 
tiful stalactities,  resembling,  in  form  and  color,  the  roots  of  radishes, 
which  have  given  the  appellation  of  Radish  Room  to  this  delight- 
ful place. 

I  cannot  refrain  from  reprobating  here,  the  vandal  spirit  of 
some  visitors,  who  regardless  of  all  prohibitions,  will  persist  in 

43 


338  APPENDIX. 

breaking  off  and  defacing,  these  splendid  specimens  of  nature's 
workmanship,  forgetting  that  a  single  blow  may  destroy  the  work  of 
centuries. 

The  main  passage  to  the  rest  of  the  Cavern  is  immediately  oppo- 
site the  entrance  to  Solomon's  Temple,  and  yon  reach  it  by  an  ascent 
of  twelve  feet,  to  what  is  called  the  Porter's  Lodge.  From  this 
place,  pursuing  the  same  course,  you  pass  along  a  passage  varying 
from  ten  to  thirty  feet  in  height,  from  ten  to  fifteen  in  breadth,  and 
fifty-eight  in  length,  until  you  reach  Barney's  Hall,  which  receives 
its  name  from  the  fancied  resemblance  of  a  prostrate  stalactite,  at  the 
base  of  one  that  is  upright,  to  old  Com.  Barney,  and  the  cannon  that 
he  used  at  the  * '  Bladensburgh  races. ' ' 

Near  the  center  of  the  room,  which  is  small  and  scarcely  de- 
serves the  name,  an  upright  board  points  out  to  the  visitor  the  main 
path  of  the  Cave,  which  runs  to  the  right.  Two  passages  run  off  to 
the  left,  the  first  one  to  a  large,  irregular  room,  called  the  lyawyer's 
Office,  in  which  is  a  fine  spring,  or  rather  reservoir  where  the  drop- 
pings from  the  ceiling  have  collected  ;  the  other,  through  a  passage 
to  what  is  called  The  Armory,  from  an  incrustation  that  has  received 
the  name  of  Ajax's  Shield.  Between  the  lawyer's  office  and  the 
armory,  and  communicating  with  both,  is  another  large,  irregular 
apartment,  which  is  named  Weyer's  Hall,  after  the  original  dis- 
coverer of  the  Cave,  who  together  with  his  dog,  stands  immortalized 
in  one  corner. 

Before  we  get  bewildered  and  lost  in  this  part  of  the  Cave, 
which  is  more  intricate  than  any  other,  let  us  return  to  the  guide 
board  in  Barney's  Hall,  and  pursue  the  route  usually  taken  by  visi- 
tors. Following  the  right  hand  opening  mentioned  above,  which  is 
rather  low,  being  not  more  than  five  feet  high,  you  pass  into  the 
Twin  Room,  taking  heed  lest  you  fall  into  the  Devil's  Bake  Oven, 
which  yawns  close  by  your  feet.  This  room  is  small,  and  communi- 
cates directly  with  the  Bannister  Room,  which  is  fifty-nine  feet  from 
the  guide  board.  The  arch  here  suddenly  expands,  and  becomes 
elevated  to  the  height  of  thirty  feet,  and  by  dint  of  hard  climbing 
you  may  return  to  the  Porter's  Lodge,  through  a  passage  directly 
over  the  one  which  you  have  just  passed. 

A  descent  of  thirty-nine  feet  due  west  from  the  twin  room, 
brings  you  to  the  Tanyard,  which  contains  many  beauties.  The 
floor  is  irregular ;  in  some  places  sinking  into  holes  somewhat  re- 
sembling tan  vats,  which  together  with  several  hanging  stalactities 
resembling  hides,  have  given  a  name  to  this  immense  apartment. 
On  the  southeast  side  of  the  room,  immediatety  to  the  left  of 
the  main  path,  is  a  large  opening,  which  admits  you  at  once  into  the 
armory. 

It  may  be  well  to  remark  here,  that  a  notice  of  many  beautiful 
appearances  in  the  different  rooms  has  been  omitted,  because  they 
are  noted  upon  the  map  of  the  cave,  lately  published  by  the  author 
of  this  sketch. 


> 


APPENDIX.  339 

Changing  your  course  to  the  N.  W. ,  you  leave  the  tanyard  by 
a  rough  but  not  difficult  ascent  of  twenty  feet,  at  an  angle  of  eigh- 
teen degrees,  into  what  may  be  considered  an  elevated  continuation 
of  the  same  room,  but  which  has  been  desevedly  dignified  with  a 
distinct  appellation. 

To  your  right,  as  3'ou  step  upon  level  ground  you  will  observe 
a  perpendicular  wall  of  rock,  rising  with  great  regularity  ;  if  you 
strike  upon  it  with  3-our  hand,  it  sends  forth  a  deep  mellow  sound, 
strongly  resembling  the  tones  of  a  bass  drum,  whence  the  room  has 
received  the  name  of  the  Drum  Room.  Upon  a  close  examination, 
this  apparent  wall  will  be  found  to  be  only  a  thin  stalactic  partition, 
extending  from  the  ceiling  to  the  floor. 

You  leave  the  drum  room  by  a  flight  of  natural  steps, seven  feet 
in  perpendicular  height.  A  large  opening  now  presents  itself,  which 
expands  to  an  extensive  apartment,  to  reach  which  it  is  necessary  to 
make  a  nearly  perpendicular  descent  of  ten  feet,  by  means  of  sub- 
stantial stone  steps.  This  apartment  is  the  far-famed  Ball  Room. 
It  is  one  hundred  feet  long,  thirty-six  wade,  and  about  twenty-five 
high,  running  at  right  angles  to  the  path  by  which  you  entered  it. 
The  general  course  of  this  room  is  from  N.  to  S.,  but  the  northern 
extremity,  there  is  a  gradual  ascent,  bearing  round  to  the  east,  until 
you  reach  a  precipice  of  twenty  or  thirtj'  feet,  from  which  you  can 
look  down  into  the  tanj-ard. 

Near  the  center  of  the  ball  room,  is  a  large  calcareous  deposit, 
that  has  received  the  name  of  Paganini's  Statue,  from  the  circum- 
stance that  it  furnishes  a  good  position  for  the  music,  w^henever  balls 
are  given  in  these  submundane  regions.  The  floor  is  sufficient  level 
to  admit  of  dancing  upon  it,  and  it  was  formerly  common  to  have 
balls  here  The  ladies  are  accommodated  with  a  convenient  dress- 
ing room,  the  only  opening  to  which  communicates  directly  with  the 
ball  room. 

You  leave  this  room  hy  a  gradual  ascent  of  forty-five  feet  at  the 
southern  extremity.  This  acclivity  is  called  the  Frenchman's  Hill, 
from  the  following  circumstances  :  Some  years  since,  a  French  gen- 
tleman visited  the  cave,  accompanied  only  by  the  guide  ;  they  had 
safely  gone  through,  and  returning,  had  reached  this  hill,  when  by 
accident  both  their  lights  were  extinguished,  and  they  were  left  in 
Eg>^ptian  darkness  without  the  means  of  relighting  them.  Fortun- 
atel}^  the  guide,  from  his  accurate  knowledge  of  localities,  con- 
ducted him  safely  to  the  entrance,  a  distance  of  more  than  five  hun- 
dred feet. 

Another  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Patterson,  has  immortalized 
his  name  by  attempting  the  same  feat,  although  it  was  a  complete 
failure.  Hearing  of  the  Frenchman's  adventure,  he  sent  his  com- 
pany ahead,  and  undertook  to  find  his  way  back  without  a  light, 
from  the  ball  room  to  the  entrance.  He  succeeded  in  ascending  the 
steps,  but  had  proceeded  only  a  few  paces  further,  when  his  feet 
slipped  from  under  him,  and  he  was  laid  prostrate  in  an  aperature, 


340  APPENDIX. 

where  he  lay  unhurt  until  his  companions,  alarmed  at  his  protracted 
absence,  returned  for  him.  His  resting  place  is  called  Patterson's 
grave  to  this  day. 

From  the  French  Hill,  a  long,  irregular  passage  extends,  in  a 
N.  W.  direction,  which  is  denominated  the  Narrow  Passage.  This 
passage  is  fifty-two  feet  long,  from  three  to  five  feet  wide,  and  from 
four  to  eight  high.  It  leads  you  to  the  brink  of  a  precipice  twelve 
feet  high. 

Natural  indentations  in  the  face  of  this  precipice,  afford  a  con- 
venient means  of  descent,  and  these  natural  steps  have  received  the 
name  of  Jacob's  Ladder.  To  correspond  with  this  name,  as  in  Solo- 
man's  Temple,  everything  is  named  after  the  Patriarch  ;  a  flat  rock 
opposite  to  the  end  of  the  Narrow  Passage,  is  Jacob's  Tea  Table  ! 
and  a  deep,  inaccessible  perforation  in  the  rock  by  its  side,  is  Jacob's 
Ice  House  !  Descending  the  Ladder,  you  turn  to  the  left,  and  pass 
through  a  narrow  opening,  still  continuing  to  descend  though 
less  perpendicularly  to  the  center  of  a  small  apartment  called  the 
Dungeon. 

This  room  communicates  immediately  with  the  Senate  Chamber, 
over  nearly  half  of  which  stretches  a  thin  flat  rock,  at  the  height  of 
six  or  eight  feet  from  the  floor,  forming  a  sort  of  gallery,  which 
probably  suggested  the  name  which  has  been  given  to  the  room. 

The  senate  chamber  communicates  with  a  high,  broad  opening, 
with  a  much  larger  apartment,  called  Congress  Hall,  an  appellation 
bestowed  rather  on  account  of  its  proximity  to  the  last  mentioned 
room  than  from  anything  particularly  appropriate  in  the  room  it- 
self. It  is  long,  and  like  the  Ball  Room  runs  at  right  angles 
to  the  main  path,  which  winds  to  the  left,  as  you  enter.  Its  course 
is  nearly  north  and  south,  and  a  wall,  perforated  in  many  places, 
runs  through  its  whole  length.  Instead  of  pursuing  the  customary 
route,  we  will  turn  to  the  right  and  explore  the  dark  recess  that  pre- 
sents itself. 

The  floor  of  Congress  Hall  is  very  uneven,  and  at  the  northern 
extremity  rises  somewhat  abruptly.  If  you  climb  this  ascent, 
and  pass  through  one  of  the  perforations  in  the  wall  above  mention- 
ed, 3^ou  can  see  through  the  whole  extent  of  the  other  half  of  the 
room,  but  cannot  traverse  it,  on  account  of  two  or  three  deep  pits 
that  occupy  the  whole  space  between  the  western  side  of  the  room 
and  the  wall. 

Turning  to  the  right  of  the  opening  through  which  you  just 
passed,  your  eye  vainly  attempts  to  penetrate  the  deep,  dark  abyss 
that  is  presented  to  view,  and  you  hesitate  to  descend.  Its  name. 
The  Infernal  Regions  !  does  not  offer  many  inducements  to  enter  it; 
in  addition  to  this,  the  suspicion  that  it  contained  fixed  air,  for 
many  years  deterred  the  curious  from  visiting  it,  and  consequently  it 
has  not  until  recently,  been  throughly  explored. 

In  the  spring  of  1833,  I  determined  at  all  hazards  to  explore 
this  room,  for  I  doubt  the  existence  of  any  bad  air,  as  I  had  never 


APPENDIX. 


341 


detected  an}-  in  the  course  of  extensive  researches  in  almost  every 
part  of  the  cave.  My  brother  and  the  guide  accompanied  me,  each 
carrying  two  candles,  and  thus  prepared  we  descended  twenty  feet 
before  we  reached  a  landing  place.  Here  our  candles  burned  dimly 
and  great  care  was  necessary  to  prevent  them  from  going  out  entire- 
ly ;  yet  we  experienced  no  difficulty  of  breathing,  or  any  other  ind- 
cation  of  the  presence  of  this  much  dreaded  gas.  The  floor  is  not 
horizontal,  but  inclined  to  an  angle  of  fifteen  or  tw^enty  degrees,  and 
when  we  emerged  from  the  pit  into  which  we  first  entered,  our  can- 
dles shone  brightly,  and  displayed  to  our  view  a  room  more  exten- 
sive than  any  that  I  have  as  yet  described.  Its  greatest  length  was 
from  W.  to  E. ,  and  it  seemed  to  run  nearly  parallel  to  the  path  over 
which  have  just  traveled.  From  its  length  w^e  are  induced  to  be- 
lieve that  it  approached  very  near  the  ball  room  with  which  it  might 
communicate  by  some  yet  undiscovered  passage.  So  strongly  w^ere 
w^e  impressed  with  this  idea,  that  w^e  determined,  if  practicable,  to 
ascertain  how  far  w^e  were  correct.  For  this  purpose  I  set  my  w^atch 
exactly  with  my  brother's,  and  requested  him  to  go  to  the  ballroom 
and  pursue,  as  far  as  possible,  a  low^  passage  that  leads  to  the  right, 
from  the  foot  of  the  Frenchman's  hill,  while  I  went  to  the  eastern 
extremity  of  this  immense  apartment.  At  an  appointed  moment  I 
fired  a  pistol,  but  the  only  answer  w^as  a  deafening  reverberations  of 
the  sound  rolling  like  thunder  along  the  lofty  arches.  I  shouted, 
but  no  return  met  my  ear  save  the  hollow  echo  of  my  own  voice,  and 
I  began  to  think  w^e  had  been  hasty  in  our  opinion.  At  this  mo- 
ment a  beautiful  stalactite  sparkled  in  the  light  of  the  candle,  and  I 
forgot  my  desire  to  discover  an  unknown  passage,  in  my  anxiety  to 
secure  this  prize.  Taking  the  butt  of  the  pistol,  I  hammered  gently 
upon  it  to  disengage  it  from  the  rock  where  it  hung.  I  w^as  sur- 
prised to  hear  the  taps  distinctly  answ^ered  appearently  from  the 
center  of  the  solid  rock,  and  a  repetition  of  the  blow  brought  a  repe- 
tition of  the  answer.  After  comparing  our  impressions,  w^e  were 
satisfied  there  could  be  but  little  space  between  the  two  rooms. 

We  have  lingered  so  long  in  these  Infernal  Regions,  ^  that  w^e 
must  hasten  back  to  the  spot  whence  we  diverged  in  the  center  of 
Congress  Hall.  Our  course  now  lies  to  S.  W.,  up  a  perpendicular 
ascent  of  seventeen  feet  to  w^hat  is  called  the  Lobby.  From  this 
place,  an  expert  climber  may  pass  through  secret  passages  and 
bye  rooms  to  the  end  of  the  cave,  without  once  entering  the  main 
path.  You  have  ascended  to  the  lobby  only  to  descend  again  on  the 
other  side,  when  yon  reach  the  most  magnificent  apartment  in  the 
whole  cave. 

This  is  Washington's  Hall,  so-called,  in  token  of  respect  for  the 
memory  of  our  Country's  Father,  and  is  worthy  of  bearing  his 
name.    Its  length  is  two  hundred  and  fifty-seven  feet,  its  breadth 


*  For  au  account  of  some  recent  interesting  discoveries  in  this  room, 
see  note  on  page  347. 


342 


APPENDIX. 


from  ten  to  twenty,  its  height  thirty-three,  and  it  is  remarkably 
level  and  straight  through  the  whole  length.  Not  far  from  the 
center  of  this  room,  is  an  immense  deposit  of  calcareous  matter  ris- 
ing to  the  hight  of  six  or  seven  feet,  which  strikingly  resembles  a 
statue  clothed  in  drapery.  This  is  Washington's  Statue,  and  few  can 
look  upon  it  as  seen  by  the  dim  light  of  two  or  three  candles  which 
rather  stimulate  than  repress  the  imagination,  without  experiencing 
a  sensation  of  solemnity  and  awe,  as  if  they  were  actually  in  the 
presence  of  the  mighty  dead. 

By  ascending  a  bank,  near  the  entrance,  of  five  or  six  feet  per- 
pendicular height,  you  enter  another  room  called  the  Theatre,  from 
the  fact  that  different  parts  of  it  correspond  to  the  stage,  gallery  and 
pit.  I  notice  this  room,  which  is  otherwise  uninteresting,  for  the 
purpose  of  mentioning  a  circumstance,  related  to  me  by  Mr.  Bryan, 
a  former  guide,  which  confirms  an  opinion  that  "I  have  long  enter- 
tained, that  the  whole  cave  is  thoroughly  ventilated  by  some  un- 
known communication  with  the  upper  air.  About  six  years 
since,  during  a  heavy  protracted  rain  which  raised  the  waters  of  the 
South  River  that  flows  at  the  bottom  of  the  cave-hill,  to  an  unprese- 
dented  height,  Mr.  Bryan  conducted  a  company  through  the  cave. 
As  he  ascended  the  stairs  that  led  to  the  lobby,  he  heard  the  rush  of 
water ;  fearing  that  the  cave  was  flooding,  he  directed  the  visitors 
to  remain  in  Congress  Hall,  while  he  investigated  the  cause  of  the 
unusual  and  alarming  noise.  Cautiously  descending  into  Washing- 
ton's Hall,  he  followed  the  sound  until  he  arrived  opposite  to  the 
entrance  to  the  Theatre,  in  which  he  saw  a  column  of  water  pouring 
from  the  ceiling  in  the  pit,  and  losing  itself  in  the  numerous  crevices 
that  abound.  When  the  rain  ceased,  the  flood  was  stayed,  and  it 
has  never  been  repeated  ;  but  even  at  the  present  time,  small 
pebbles  and  gravel,  resembling  that  found  on  the  top  of  the  hill, 
may  be  seen  in  the  theatre.  No  aperature  is  visible  from  within, 
neither  has  any  perforation  been  discovered  on  the  surface  of  the 
hill,  yet  beyond  a  doubt,  some  communication  with  the  exterior 
does  exist. 

I  have  said  that  the  breadth  of  Washington's  Hall  is  from  ten 
to  twenty  feet ;  this  must  be  understood  as  applying  to  the  lower 
part  of  the  room,  for  the  arch  stretches  over  a  rock  twenty  feet  high, 
which  forms  the  left  wall,  and  embraces  another  room  called  lyady 
Washington's  room.  The  entrance  to  this  apartment  is  opposite  to 
the  Statue,  and  is  on  a  level  with  the  hall.  The  vv^all  that  separates  the 
two  rooms  is  ten  feet  thick,  and  is  named  The  Rock  of  Gibralter. 
One  or  two  candles  placed  upon  this  rock,  produce  a  fine  effect,  par- 
ticularly if  every  other  light  is  extinguished  ;  for  it  shows  you  the 
arch,  spreading  out  with  beautiful  regularity,  until  it  is  lost  in  the 
surrounding  darkness,  and  imagination,  supplying  the  deficiency  of 
vision,  peoples  the  dark  recesses  with  hosts  of  matterless  phantoms. 
You  leave  this  splendid  apartment  at  the  S.  W.  extremity,  by  a 
rough  and  narrow,  but  high  passage,  running  at  the  foot  of  the 


APPENDIX. 


343 


Pyramids  of  Egypt  and  Cleopatra's  Needle  !  At  the  end  of  this 
passage,  in  a  recess  to  the  right  is  another  spring  or  reservoir,  simi- 
lar to  the  one  in  the  lawyer's  office.  A  descent  of  eight  or  ten  feet 
brings  you  into  the  Diamond  Room,  which  may  be  considered  as 
forming  a  part  of  The  Church,  a  long,  irregular  room  more  lofty 
than  any  that  we  have  yet  entered.  Its  length  is  one  hundred  and 
fifty-two  feet,  its  breadth  from  ten  to  fifteen,  and  its  height  fifty  ! 
At  the  farthest  extremity,  a  beautifui  white  spire  shoot  up  to  a  con- 
siderable height,  which  is  appropriately  styled  The  Steeple,  and  has 
no  doubt  suggested  the  name  of  the  room.  Nearly  opposite  to  the 
center  of  the  church,  is  a  recess  of  considerable  extent  and  elevation, 
which  forms  a  very  good  galley  ;  in  the  rear  of  the  gallery  and  in 
full  view  from  below,  is  a  great  number  of  pendant  stalactities,  sev- 
eral feet  long  and  of  various  sizes,  ranging  like  the  pipes  of  an  organ 
and  bearing  a  striking  resemblance  to  them.  If  these  stalactities  are 
struck  by  any  hard  substance,  they  send  forth  sounds  of  various 
pitches,  according  to  their  sizes,  and  a  stick  be  rapidly  run  along  sev- 
eral of  them  at  once,  a  pleasing  variety  of  notes  is  produced.  This 
formation  is  called  the  organ. 

Passing  under  the  steeple,  which  rests  on  an  arch  elevated  not 
more  than  ten  feet,  you  enter  the  Dining  Room.  This  room  is 
named  from  a  long  natural  table,  that  stands  on  the  left,  and  is  not 
quite  so  large  as  the  church,  though  its  height  is  sixty  feet.  But 
for  the  sort  of  wall  which  the  steeple  makes,  it  might  be  considered 
as  a  continuation  of  the  church.  A  little  to  the  left  of  the  table, 
you  will  see  a  small  uninviting  opening  ;  if  you  are  not  deterred  by  its 
unpromising  appearance,  we  will  enter  and  see  whether  it  will  lead 
us.  Proceeding  only  a  few  paces  you  will  suddenly  find  yourself  in 
an  immense  apartment,  parallel  to  the  dining  room,  extending  to  the 
gallery  in  the  church,  with  which  it  communicates.  This  is  Jack- 
son's Room,  and  is  uninteresting  on  account  of  its  irregularity,  but 
leads  to  one  that  deserves  notice.  Directly  opposite  to  the  little  pas- 
sage which  conducted  you  thither,  is  a  large  opening  ;  passing  this, 
the  walls  contract  until  only  a  narrow  pass  a  few  feet  long,  is  left, 
which  conduct  you,  if  not  to  the  most  magnificent,  at  least  to  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  and  interesting  portions  of  the  whole  cavern. 
There  is  but  one  apartment,  and  that  is  small,  but  the  Garden  of 
Eden,  for  so  it  is  called,  derives  its  beauty  from  the  singular  ar- 
rangement of  the  immense  stalactities,  that  hung  from  the  roof,  and 
unite  with  the  stalactities  which  have  ascended  from  the  floor  to 
meet  them  ;  or  in  few  words,  it  seems  as  if  at  some  former  period, 
a  sheet  of  water  had  poured  down  from  the  roof  and  by  some  won- 
derful operation  of  nature  had  become  suddenly  petrified.  This 
sheet  is  not  continuous,  but  strongly  resembles  the  fold  of  heavy 
drapery,  and  you  may  pass  among  its  windings  as  through  the  mazes 
of  a  labyrinth,  and  the  light  of  a  candle  shines  distinctly  through 
any  part  of  it.  A  large  portion  of  the  floor  of  this  room  is  com- 
posed of  beautiful  fine  yellow  sand ;  the  floor  of  most,  if  not  all 


344  APPENDIX. 

other  portions  of  the  cave,  is  a  stiff  clay,  with  very  few  indications 
of  sand. 

We  must  now  retrace  our  steps  to  the  dining  room,  for  there  is 
no  other  place  of  egress  ;  but  as  we  return  let  us  make  a  short  di- 
gression to  the  left  into  a  small  passage,  that  does  not  appear  to  ex- 
tend very  far.  Be  careful  !  there  is  a  deep  hole  just  before  you  ! 
now  hold  your  candle  above  your  head  and  look  through  the  opening, 
which  is  large  enough  to  admit  the  body  of  a  man  ;  you  will  see  a 
deep  unexplored  abyss, 

"  Where  the  footstep  of  mortal  had  never  trod." 

No  man  as  yet  ever  ventured  into  this  forbidding  place,  for  it 
can  be  entered  only  by  means  of  a  rope  ladder,  but  it  is  my  intention 
if  my  courage  does  not  fail  me,  to  attempt  at  no  distant  period,  to 
explore  the  hidden  mysteries  of  the  apartment. 

Once  more  in  the  dining  room,  let  us  hasten  to  the  completion 
of  our  task.  The  main  path  pursues  the  same  course  from  this 
room,  that  it  has  done  ever  since  you  entered  Washington's  Hall ; 
but  your  wa}^  now  lies  up  a  sort  of  a  hill,  in  the  side  of  which,  is  the 
opening  through  which  you  are  to  pass.  If  you  are  adventurous, 
you  will  follow  me  above  the  opening,  up  the  nearly  perpendicular 
face  of  the  rock,  to  the  height  of  fifty  feet,  where  a  ledge  of  rock  ex- 
tends itself,  forming  the  left  side  of  the  dining  room.  From  this 
eminence,  called  the  Giant's  Causeway,  you  can  look  down  into  the 
dining  room  on  one  side,  and  Jackson's  room  on  the  other. 

Great  caution  is  necessary  in  climbing  this  height,  lest  too  much 
confidence  be  reposed  in  the  projecting  stalagmites,  that  offer  a  con- 
venient and  seemingly  a  secure  foothold  to  the  incautious  adventur- 
er. It  must  be  remembered  that  they  are  formed  from  droppings 
from  the  roof,  and  are  generally  based  on  the  mud.  By  cautiously 
descending  the  ledge  a  few  feet  on  the  opposite  side  to  that  which 
we  ascended,  we  shall  be  enabled  to  reach  with  ease,  the  room  which 
has  already  been  attained  by  the  rest  of  the  company,  who  have  been 
less  adventurous  than  ourselves  and  passed  through  tne  opening 
already  pointed  out,  in  ascending  the  Causeway. 

This  room,  or  perhaps  it  should  be  called  passage,  is  denomin- 
ated The  Wilderness,  from  the  roughness  of  the  pathway,  and  is 
only  ten  feet  wide,  but  it  rises  to  the  immense  height  of  ninety  or  one 
hundred  feet !  As  we  come  along  the  Causeway,  we  look  down 
upon  our  right,  we  shall  see  our  company  forty  or  fifty  feet  below 
us,  while  our  eyes  can  scarcely  penetrate  through  the  darkness, 
to  the  ceiling  above  our  heads.  Upon  the  very  verge  of  the  rock  on 
which  we  are  standing,  are  several  beautiful  v/hite  stalagmites,  or 
rather  columns,  grouped  together, [among  which  one  stands  pre-emin- 
ent. This  is  Bonaparte  with  his  body-guard,  crossing  the  Alps  ! 
The  effect  is  peculiarly  fine  when  viewed  from  below. 

Without  descending  from  our  dangerous  elevation,  we  will  go 
on  our  way  a  little  further.    Proceeding  only  a  few  paces  from  the 


i 


APPENDIX.  345 

Emperor,  ^^ou  find  yourself  upon  an  arch  under  which  j^our  com- 
pany is  passing,  which  is  very  appropriately  called  The  Natural 
Bridge  ;  but  it  should  be  crossed  with  great  caution,  if  at  all,  for 
foothold  is  insecure,  and  danger  of  being  precipitated  to  the  floor  be- 
neath. Retracing  our  steps  near  to  Bonaparte's  statue,  we  w411  de- 
send  an  inclined  plane  on  the  left,  and  by  a  jump  of  six  feet,  rejoin 
our  friends  at  the  end  of  the  Wilderness. 

You  are  now  upon  the  lowest  level  of  the  cave,  and  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  farthest  room.  This  is  Jefferson's  Hall,  an  extensive 
and  level  but  not  a  very  elevated  apartment.  Before  I  describe  this 
room,  we  must  diverge  a  little  and  visit  one  or  two  rooms  that  branch 
off  from  the  main  path.  Directly  to  your  right,  as  you  emerge  from 
the  Wilderness,  there  rises  an  immense  mass,  apparently  of  solid 
stalaarmite,  thirty-six  feet  long,  thirty  feet  broad,  and  thirty  feet 
high  ;  this  mass  is  beautiful  beyond  description  ;  very  much  re- 
sembling successive  stories,  and  is  called  the  Tower  of  Babel  !  The 
most  magnificent  portion  of  the  Tower  is  on  the  back  or  northern 
part,  but  it  is  difficult  of  access,  for  it  is  necessary  to  climb  up  the 
surface  of  the  rock  to  the  height  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  ;  the  view 
however  amply  repays  you  for  the  labor.  For  a  few  moments,  3'ou 
can  scarcely  convince  yourself  that  an  immense  body  of  water  is  not 
pouring  over  the  precipice,  in  a  foaming  torrent — so  white,  so 
dazzling  is  the  effulgence  of  the  rock,  and  when  this  impression 
is  effaced,  the  words  of  the  pious  Bard  rush  into  the  mind,  where 
he  describes  the  awful  effects  that  will  follow  the  consummation  of 
all  things : 

**  The  Cataract,  that  Hke  a  Giant  wroth, 
Rushed  down  impetuously,  as  seized  at  once 
By  sudden  frost,  with  all  his  hoary  locks, 
Stood  still !  " 

One  might  almost  imagine  that  Pollock  had  visited  this  wonder, 
and  caught  the  idea  so  forcibly  expressed  above,  from  viewing  this 
magnificent  scene. 

We  have  already  so  much  exceeded  our  intended  limits,  that  we 
can  only  look  into  the  large  apartment  that  occupies  the  space  be- 
hind the  Tower,  which  is  called  Sir  Walter  Scott's  Room,  and  then 
hasten  back  to  the  main  path. 

Jefferson's  room,  that  we  left  some  time  since,  is  very  irregular 
in  shape,  and  is  two  hundred  and  thirty-five  feet  long,  following  the 
various  windings.  What  is  commonly  called  the  end  of  the  cave,  is 
distinguished  by  two  singular,  thin,  lamellar  rocks,  five  or  six  feet 
in  diameter,  united  at  their  bases,  but  spreading  out  so  that  the 
outer  edges  are  several  feet  apart,  this  is  called  the  Fly  Trap  !  To 
the  left  of  the  fly  trap,  is  a  large  recess,  where  you  will  find  a  fine 
spring  of  water,  at  which  the  weary  visitor  is  glad  to  slake  his 
thirst,  after  the  fatigues  of  his  arduous  undertaking. 

Very  many  visitors  have  their  curiosity  satisfied  long  before 

44 


1 

346  APPENDIX. 

they  have  gone  over  the  ground  that  we  have,  but  I  am  writing  for 
those  only,  who  like  me,  are  not  satisfied  until  everything  is  seen 
that  is  worthy  of  notice.  Such  would  not  excuse  me,  did  I  not 
mention  one  more  curiosity,  that  few  are  inclined  to  visit.  A  few 
yards  beyond  the  fly  trap,  there  is  an  opening  in  the  solid  wall,  at 
the  height  of  about  twelve  feet,  through  which  you  are  admitted  by 
a  temporary  ladder.  By  hard  climbing,  you  soon  penetrate  to  end 
of  the  recess,  where  you  find  the  source  of  the  Nile  !  This  is  a  beau- 
tiful, limpid  spring,  covered  over  with  a  then  pellicle  of  stalagmite, 
yet  sufficiently  strong  to  bear  your  weight  ;  in  this  crust,  their  is  a 
perforation  that  gives  you  access  to  the  water  beneath. 

I  have  thus  very  curiously  described,  as  far  as  it  is  practicable, 
this  wonderful  cavern,  but  I  feel  convinced  that  no  pen  can  ade- 
quately describe  an  object  so  extensive,  so  magnificent,  and  so  varied 
in  its  beauties.  I  shall  only  add  a  few  remarks  in  explanation  of 
the  motives  that  induced  me  to  prepare  this  sketch,  and  some  gen- 
eral facts  that  could  not,  with  propriety,  have  been  stated  in  the 
description  of  individual  portions  of  the  cave.  To  settle  a  dispute 
relative  to  its  depth,  I  was  induced  to  make  a  full  and  accurate  sur- 
vey of  the  whole  cavern,  which  I  found  had  never  been  done.  This 
w^as  undertaken  solely  for  my  own  gratification,  but  the  solicitations 
of  the  proprietor,  and  others,  have  induced  me  to  construct  a  sort 
of  Map,  Vv^hich  is  now  before  the  public.  This  description  there- 
fore, may  be  depended  upon,  as  being  as  accurate  as  possible,  for 
the  distances,  heights,  elevations,  &c.,  are  given  from  actual  meas- 
urement. The  dotted  line  in  the  map,  represents  what  has  so  often 
been  called  the  "  main  path,"  and  if  we  measure  this  line  the  length 
of  the  cave  is  one  thousand  six  hundred  aiid  fifty  feet.  By  follow- 
ing its  windings,  the  distance  may  be  more  than  doubled. 

At  all  times,  the  air  of  the  cave  is  damp,  but  the  dampness  of 
the  floor  depends  much  upon  the  seasons  ;  if  you  except  a  moist 
place  near  the  fly  trap,  there  is  no  standing  water  in  all  the  cave. 
The  temperature  remains  invariably  at  fifty-six  degrees,  in  all  parts, 
from  which  it  follows  that  the  air  feels  quite  warm,  to  a  visitor  in 
winter,  and  directly  the  reverse  in  summer,  and  it  is  therefore  im- 
portant that  in  the  summer  he  should  become  perfectly  cool  before 
he  enters,  and  in  winter,  before  he  leaves  it.  The  spring  and  fall 
are  the  best  seasons  for  visiting  the  cave,  for  then  the  atmosphere 
without,  is  nearly  of  the  same  temperature  with  that  within,  and  it 
is  more  dry  at  these  times. 

The  question  is  often  asked,  which  of  the  two  great  curiosties 
of  Virginia  is  the  greatest,  Weyer's  Cave  or  the  Natural  Bridge  ? 
This  is  not  a  fair  question,  neither  can  it  be  easily  answered  ;  for  they 
are  totally  different  in  themselves,  and  in  their  effects  upon  observ- 
ers. You  visit  the  Natural  Bridge  in  the  full  blaze  of  noon-day, 
and  when  you  reach  the  object  of  your  curiosity,  it  bursts  upon  your 
view,  in  all  its  magnificence  and  grandeur,  you  comprehend  at  once 
the  magnitude  of  the  scene,  and  you  turn  away,  overpowered  with 


APPENDIX. 


347 


a  sense  of  the  majesty  of  Him  who  has  spanned  that  gulf,  and 
thrown  His  arch  across  it.  Visit  it  as  often  as  you  please,  this  feel- 
ing return  upon  you  with  unabated  force,  but  no  new  impressions 
are  made,  you  have  seen  the  whole. 

You  visit  the  cave  by  the  dim  light  of  a  few  candles,  of  course 
no  impression  will  at  first  be  produced,  or  if  any  an  unfavorable  one. 
As  successive  portions  of  the  cavern  are  presented  to  view,  they  pro- 
duce successive  and  varied  emotions.  Now  you  are  filled  with  de- 
light at  the  beauty  of  the  sparkling  ceilings  ;  again,  this  feeling  i§ 
mingled  with  admiration,  as  some  object  of  more  than  ordinary 
beauty  presents  itself,  and  anon  you  are  filled  v/ith  awe  at  the  magni- 
tude of  the  immense  chambers,  the  hollow  reverberations  of  the 
lof t\^  arches,  and  the  profuse  display  of  the  operations  of  an  omnipo- 
tent hand.  Indistinctness  of  vision,  allows  free  scope  to  the  imagi- 
nation, and  consequently  greatl}^  enhances  your  pleasure. 

Man}^  persons  go  away  from  the  cave  disappointed,  they  hear  of 
rooms  and  ceilings,  and  if  they  do  not  expect  to  see  them  plastered 
and  white-washed,  they  think  at  least  that  they  will  be  mathemati- 
cally regular  in  form,  and  that  they  will  be  able  to  walk  in  them 
with  as  much  ease  and  see  as  many  wonders  as  they  would  in  a  visit 
to  Aladin's  palace.  A  visit  to  the  cave  is  not  unattended  with  fati- 
gue, but  the  pleasure  you  derive  from  it,  is  ample  compensation. 

[The  author  of  this  pamphlet  has  omited  to  notice  what  I  con- 
sider one  of  the  greatest  and  most  beautiful  of  nature's  curiosities 
in  this  grand  work  of  nature,  i.  e.,  what  is  called  the  rising  sun.  In 
a  dark  recess,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  cave,  this  curiosity  appears 
in  full  relief.  It  is  a  very  natural  representation  of  the  moon  in  her 
last  quarter,  rising  in  the  morning.] 

(NOTE  A). 

Since  the  publication  of  the  first  edition  of  this  description,  a 
discovery  of  great  interest  has  been  made  in  the  Infernal  Regions, 
which  deserves  notice,  on  account  of  its  extraordinary  richness  and 
rarity.  The  floor  of  this  apartment,  until  recently,  has  been  sup- 
posed to  be  solid  rock,  but  it  is  now  ascertained  to  be  a  rich  mine  of 
calcareous  deposits,  unsurpassing  in  beauty  anything  ever  3'et  dis- 
covered in  this  or  any  other  cavern.  By  perforating  the  floor  with 
a  crow  bar,  it  was  found  to  consist  of  successive  layers  of  brilliant 
white  crystal,  to  the  depth  of  three  feet,  the  layers  being  often  in- 
terrupted, and  varying  in  width. 

The  crystals  are  usually  pendent  from  the  lower  surfaces  of  the 
layers,  though  very  many  of  them  serve  as  pillars  to  support  the 
superincumbent  mass.  After  penetrating  through  the  layers,  a 
large  geode  or  hollow  space  was  discovered,  extending  many  yards 
horizontally,  but  only  three  feet  deep,  which  was  half  full  of  limpid 
water.  In  this  cavity  the  crystals  assume  the  form  of  well-defined 
dog-tooth  spar,  and  are  unrivalled  in  brilliancy  and  beauty.    In  the 


348 


APPENDIX. 


course  of  extensive  and  minute  explorations  in  different  caves  in 
this  and  other  States,  I  have  never  met  with  a  similar  formation,  or 
with  crystals  of  such  transcendant  beauty.  By  the  kindness  of  the 
proprietor,  I  have  been  enabled  to  make  a  choice  collection  of  speci- 
mens, embracing  almost  every  variety.  For  one  of  these  I  have  re- 
fused $ioo. 

(NOTE  B). 

Much  has  been  said  of  late,  of  another  cave  that  has  been  dis- 
covered within  two  years,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Weyer's.  A 
few  words  respecting  it  may  not  be  uninteresting.  You  gain  admit- 
ance  by  a  long  flight  of  steps,  and  immediately  find  yourself  in  a 
large  apartment,  the  first  view  of  which,  (under  the  circumstances 
in  which  I  first  saw  it,  by  the  light  of  several  hundred  candles)  is 
very  imposing. 

Pillars  and  enormous  pendant  stalactities  impart  an  air  of  wild- 
ness  and  irregularity  to  the  scene,  that  is  not  observed  in  the  other 
cave.  There  are  few  narrow  passages  ;  the  cavern  seems  to  be  com- 
prised in  one  immense  room,  its  floor  however  being  so  uneven  and 
rugged,  and  the  view  so  much  curtailed  by  pillars  and  stalactities  that 
extend  nearly  to  the  floor,  that  the  effect  which  otherwise  would  be 
produced  by  its  vastness,  is  very  sensibly  diminished.  I  have  not 
space  to  describe  this  cave  more  minutely,  but  will  briefly  give  my 
impressions  of  the  comparative  merits  of  these  rival  claimants  of  our 
admiration.  We  are  immediately  struck  with  astonishment  and 
pleasure,  at  the  general  view  that  is  presented  to  us  in  Weast's  Cave, 
as  long  as  we  look  at  it  at  a  little  distance,  but  our  emotions  are  not 
very  varied  ;  and  when  we  examine  closely  the  objects  of  our  ad- 
miration, our  emotions  subside,  for  their  beauty  is  gone. 

As  we  enter  Weyer's  Cave,  we  are  not  transported  with  those 
violent  yet  agreeable  emotions,  but  as  we  proceed,  new  and  richer 
beauties  rise  successively  before  us,  and  our  feelings  rise  with  them, 
until  they  reach  an  almost  painful  degree  of  intenseness,  nor  is  the 
effect  lessened  by  the  most  minute  examination  of  the  objects  of  our 
admiration.  Weast's  Cave  richly  deserves  a  visit  from  all  who  love 
to  contemplete  the  works  of  nature,  but  in  variety,  in  beauty,  and 
in  general  effect,  it  must  yield  the  palm  to  Weyer's. 


APPENDIX. 


349 


CHAPTER  V. 

ACCOUNT  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PROPERTIES 
OF  THE  GREY  SUI.PHUR  SPRINGS  

The  great  reputation  which  the  Mineral  Springs  of  Virginia 
have  of  late  years  acquired,  causes  them  to  be  resort  to,  in  great  num- 
bers, not  only  by  invalids  from  every  section  of  the  United  States 
and  foreign  parts,  but  also  by  individuals  of  leisure  and  fashion, 
whose  principal  object  is,  to  pass  the  summer  in  an  agreeable  man- 
ner. The  properties  of  the  Warm,  Hot,  Sweet,  White  Sulphur, 
Salt  Sulphur,  and  Red  Sulphur  Springs,  are  generally  known. 
Those  of  the  Grey  Sulphur  having  been  ascertained  only  within 
the  two  last  years,  have  yet  to  be  made  public,  and  in  order  to  do  so, 
we  are  induced  to  give,  in  this  form,  an  account  of  the  situation  and 
medical  properties,  together  with  a  statement  of  some  of  the  cases 
benefitted  by  the  use  of  the  waters. 

The  Grey  Sulphur  Springs  are  situated  near  the  line,  dividing 
the  Counties  of  Giles  and  Monroe,  Va.,  on  the  main  road  leading 
from  the  court-house  of  the  one  to  that  of  the  other.  They  are 
three-fourths  of  a  mile  from  Peterstown,  nine  miles  from  Red  Sul- 
phur, and  by  the  county  road,  and  twenty  and  a  quarter  miles  from 
the  Salt  Sulphur  Spring.  In  traveling  to  the  Virginia  Springs,  by 
either  the  Main  Tennessee  or  Goodspur  Gap  Road,  and  crossing  the 
country  from  Newbern,  by  the  stage  road  to  the  Sulphur  Springs, 
whe  Grey  Sulphur  are  the  first  arrived  at.  They  are  thirty  miles 
distant  from  Newburn.  The  location  is  such  as  to  admit  of 
many  and  varied  improvements,  which,  when  completed,  will  ren- 
der their  spot  an  elegant  and  desirable  resort  during  the  summer 
months,  independent  of  the  high  medicinal  properties  of  the  Mineral 
Waters. 

The  present  improvement  consist  of  a  Brick  Hotel  ninety  feet 
long  and  thirty-two  wide  ;  two  ranges  of  cabins  one  hundred  and 
sixtj'-two  feet  long  each,  which,  with  other  buildings  in  connection, 
afford  accommodation  for  from  ninety  to  one  hundred  visitors. 

There  are  two  springs  at  this  establishment,  situated  within  five 
feet  of  each  other  and  inclosed  in  one  building.  Although  rising  so 
near  to  each  other,  yet  they  differ  most  materially  in  their  action  on 
the  system.  Both  appear  to  be  peculiarly  serviceable  in  dyspeptic 
cases,  and  in  such  as  originate  in  a  disordered  state  of  the  stomach, 
the  one  in  those,  in  w^hich  inflammation  exists,  the  other  in  such  as 


350 


APPENDIX. 


proceed  from  torpidity.  They  have  hiterto  been  known  as  Large 
and  Small  Springs ;  but  having  succeeded  towards  the  close  of  the 
last  season  in  procuring  a  much  larger  supply  of  water  at  the  Small 
Spring  than  is  afforded  by  the  Large,  a  change  of  names  became 
necessar5\  The  large  will  hereafter  be  known  as  the  Anti-Dyspep- 
tic, and  the  small  as  the  Aperient,  which  name  will  serve  to  point 
out  their  peculiar  characteristics. 

The  Springs  have  been  classed  by  Professor  Shepard,  as  Alka- 
lino  Sulphurous,"  a  variety  so  rarely  met  with,  that  another  is  not 
known  in  the  United  States.  The  waters  are  beautifully  clear,  and 
highly  charged  with  gas,  wnich  render  them  light  and  extremely 
pleasant,  especially  that  of  the  Anti-Dyspeptic  Spring,  which  pro- 
duces none  of  those  unpleasant  sensations  so  frequently  felt  on  the 
first  drinking  of  Mineral  Waters. 

When  first  purchased  some  of  the  water  was  submitted  to  a 
chemist  for  analysis ;  the  quantity,  however,  was  too  small  for  him 
to  ascertain  all  its  ingredients.  A  more  recent  examination  has 
been  made  by  Professor  C.  U.  Shepard,  who  has  furnished  us  wdth 
the  following  abstract  of  an  article  which  appears  in  the  April  Num- 
ber (1836)  of  Prof.  Silliman's  Journal  of  Science  and  Arts. 

' '  The  following  is  the  most  satisfactory  view  which  my  experi- 
ments enable  me  to  present  of  the  condition  of  these  waters  : 

Specific  gravity,  1,003. 

SOIvUBI^K  INGREDIENTS. 

Nitrogen, 

Hydro-Sulphuric  Acid, 
Bi-Carbonate  of  Soda,  * 
A  Superb  Carbonate  of  Lime, 
Chloride  of  Calcium, 
Chloride  of  Sodium, 
Sulphate  of  Soda, 

An  Alkaline  or  earthly  Crenate,  or  both, 
Silicic  Acid. 

INSOI.UBI.E  INGREDIENTS. 

Sulphuret  of  Iron, 

Crenate  of  Per  Oxide  of  Iron, 

Silicic  Acid, 

Alumina, 

Selicate  of  Iron. 

My  experiments  do  not  permit  me  to  point  out  the  differences 
between  the  two  Springs  with  precision.    The  new  Spring  appears 

*  It  cannot  be  determined  whether  free  carbonic  acid  exist  in  these 
waters,  without  going  into  a  quantitative  analysis. — C.  U.  S. 


APPENDIX. 


351 


to  give  rise  to  a  greater  amount  of  liydro-siilphuric  acid,  as  well  as 
of  iron  and  silicic  acid.  Probably  it  may  differ  in  still  other  respects. 
I  have  not  examined  it  for  Iodine  or  Bromine." 

As  no  regular  analysis  was  attempted  the  quantities  in  which 
these  several  ingredients  exist,  still  remain  undetermined.  That 
they  are  in  different  proportions  in  the  two  Springs,  is  evident  not 
only  from  their  deposits,  but  also  from  their  action  on  the  system. 
Thef  action  of  the  Anti-Dj^speptic  Spring  is  diuretic  and  gently  aperi- 
ent, tending  to  restore  the  healthy  performance  of  the  functions,  and 
reduce  or  diffuse  the  local  irritation  of  disease.  The  Aperient  Spring 
while  it  possesses  all  the  alkaline  properties  of  the  other,  has  an 
aperient  and  alterative  action.  Possessing  more  iron,  (of  which  the 
other  has  but  a  trace) ,  it  acts  more  powerfully  as  a  tonic,  whilst 
its  other  ingredients  causes  it  to  act  in  some  cases  as  a  very  powerful 
aperient. 

As  these  Springs  have  been  visited  by  invalids,  only  during  the 
two  last  seasons,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  all  their  properties 
have  not  yet  been  discovered,  nor  all  the  cases  ascertained  in  V\'hich 
they  can  be  beneficially  used.  In  fact,  owing  to  the  small  quantity 
of  water  furnished  hitherto  by  the  Aperient  Spring,  its  qualities 
have  been  but  little  tested,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt,  (judging  from 
its  constituents)  that  it  will  be  found  equally  salubrious  as  the  Anti- 
Dyspeptic  Spring,  only  better  adapted  to  another  class  of  cases.  To 
give  a  general  idea  of  the  properties  of  these  waters,  we  might  say 
that  they  are  peculiarly  serviceable  in  these  diseases  which  originate 
in  a  disordered  state  of  the  stomach  and  bowels,  and  also  in  hepatic 
affections.  It  is  proper,  however,  to  enter  more  into  details,  and  w^e 
therefore  submit  the  following  synopsis  of  the  medical  properties  of 
the  Anti-Dyspeptic  Spring. 

MEDICAI,  PROPERTIES. 

1.  It  relieves  nausia  and  headaches,  arising  from  disordered 
stomachs. 

2.  Neutralizes  acidity,  and  if  taken  at  meals,  or  immediately 
after,  it  has  a  tendency  to  prevent  those  unpleasant  sensations  so 
often  experienced  by  invalids,  from  indiscretion  in  dieting. 

3.  Is  an  excellent  tonic,  exciting  appetite  and  imparting 
strength  to  digestion. 

4.  Quiets  irritation  to  the  alimentary  canal. 

5.  Controls  and  lessons  the  force  of  the  circulation  when  ^  un- 
naturally excited  by  disease,  and  often  in  this  way,  is  remedial  in 
internal  inflammation  of  the  organs. 

6.  It  tranquilizes  nervous  irritability. 

7.  Is  a  mild  and  certain  expectorant,  often  allaying  dyspnoae, 
and  promoting  recovery  from  chronic  ailments  of  the  chest  and 
wind-pipe. 


352  APPENDIX. 

8.  It  alters  the  action  of  the  liver,  where  this  has  been  previ- 
ously deranged,  in  a  manner  peculiar  to  itself,  and  under  circum- 
stances in  which  the  ordinar}^  alteratives  are  forbidden  by  reason  of 
their  excitive^or  otherwise  irrelevent  properties. 

9.  It  is  also  sudorific  or  diaphoretic  ;  and 

10.  When  taken  at  bedtime,  often  proves  itself  soporific  ;  ap- 
parently stilling  that  indescribable,  but  too  well  understood  in- 
quietude which  so  frequently  and  unhappily  interrupts  or  prevents 
the  repose  of  the  invalid,  and  especially  of  the  dyspeptic. 

Having  thus  briefly  stated  the  properties  of  this  Spring,  we  sub- 
mit the  following  statement  of  cases,  treated  at  the  Grey  Sulphur, 
illustrative  of  the  effect  of  the  waters,  and  in  corroboration  of  what 
has  been  advanced.  Except  those  which  are  noticed  in  their  proper 
places,  all  are  either  directly  from  the  pen  of  the  sufferers  them- 
selves, or  were  immediately  dictated  by  them  in  the  form  in  which 
they  appear  in  the  notes.  The  original  are  in  our  possession,  signed 
by  the  individuals  whose  cases  are  referred  to. 

No.  I. 

Dear  Sir, — I  take  pleasure  in  stating  that  the  waters  of  the 
Grey  Sulphur  have  proved  quite  beneficial,  during  a  visit  of  ten 
days,  both  to  Mrs.  S.  and  myself.  We  have  both  been  suffering 
with  that  distressing  malady,  Dyspepsia,  for  a  long  time,  and  in  my 
case  with  a  general  nervous  debility,  a  weak  and  torpid  state  of  the 
stomach  and  bowels,  and  at  times  great  distress  of  the  head  and 
mind,  and  nervous  excitement,  even  to  spasms.  After  drinking 
freely  of  the  An ti- Dyspeptic  Spring,  even  at  meals,  the  water  pro- 
duced a  fine  glow  and  perspiration,  suspended  the  nervous  irritation 
and  distress,  and  acted  as  a  tonic  for  the  stomach,  created  a  strong 
appetite  and  enabled  me  to  partake,  with  impunity,  of  any  or  all  the 
solid  and  delicate  dishes  with  which  your  table  abounded.  The 
water  of  the  Anti-Despeptic  Spring,  corrected  and  prevented  acidity 
of  the  stomach,  and  seemed  to  give  activity  and  strength  to  that 
organ,  but  we  required  a  free  use  of  the  Aperient  Spring,  in  the 
mornings,  to  prevent  a  constipation  of  the  bowls,  which  the  Anti- 
Dyspeptic  Spring  seemed  to  produce.*  A  glass  or  two  of  the  Anti- 
Dyspeptic  Spring,  on  retiring,  produced  a  glow,  allayed  nervous  irri- 
tation, and  induced  a  fine  night's  sleep ;  and  we  have,  as  well  as 
our  servant  woman,  who  was  in  a  debilitated  state  of  health,  ex- 
perienced more  benefit  here  than  from  any  of  the  waters  we  have  as 
yet  visited. 

Respectfully  yours,  &c., 


*  In  a  few  instances  this  effect  was  complained  of,  but  we  found  it  was 
only  in  those  cases  where  habitual  costiveness  existed,  and  this  was  easily 
remedied  by  making  use  of  the  Aperient  Spring  before  breakfast. 


APPENDIX. 


353 


No.  2. 

Dear  Sir, — It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  inform  you  of  the 
general  effects  of  your  Anti-Dyspeptic  Spring,  in  my  case.  During 
the  three  day's  trial  of  the  waters,  I  am  convinced  of  its  diuretic 
and  diaphoretic  qualities,  and  in  one  instance  it  acted  as  an  altera- 
tive on  my  liver,  producing  a  free  discharge  of  billions  matter.  My 
general  health  has  improved,  the  symptoms  of  my  disease  (Neural- 
gia) have  mitigated,  my  appetite  increased,  my  pulse  has  become 
more  tranquil  and  regular,  and  my  sleep  more  continual  and  refresh- 
ing. I  have  also  gained  strength  and  weight,  (three  pounds  in 
three  days),  during  my  short  sojourn  with  you. 

Yours  respectfully, 

No.  3. 

On  the  6th  of  August,  1835,  I  arrived  at  the  Grey  Sulphur 
Springs,  in  a  state  of  much  depression,  accompanied  by  a  fever  and 
rapid  pulse,  both  arising  from  a  complication  of  disorders  belonging 
to  the  throat,  the  stomach  and  bowels.  In  the  afternoon  I  drank  of 
the  Anti-Dyspeptic  Spring,  and  immediate  effect  was  to  produce  a 
gentle  moisture  of  the  skin,  and  to  reduce  the  pulse  from  an  hundred 
beats  in  a  minute  to  about  eighty.  In  the  evening,  my  system  gen- 
erally was  relieved.  On  going  to  bed  I  drank  of  the  same  spring, 
and  on  the  following  morning  felt  a  continuance  of  the  same  agree- 
able influence,  and  an  improved  appetite.  In  the  afternoon  there 
was  a  further  reduction  of  pulse,  and  my  fever  entirely  subsided, 
but  partially  returned  in  the  night,  with  quickness  of  pulse,  but  by 
no  means  accelerated  as  it  was  when  I  came.  In  the  course  of  the 
second  day,  the  pulse  beat  sixty  per  minute,  but  quickened  again. 
The  first  twenty-four  or  thirty-six  hours  experience  was  followed  by 
similar  effects,  the  two  following  days,  one  of  which  I  confined  my- 
self to  the  Aperient  spring,  and  perceived  no  difference.  Neither  of 
them  had  the  effect  to  move  my  bowels,  but  on  the  contrary  to  con- 
stipate them.  I  am  much  inclined  to  believe,  that  a  continuance  of 
these  waters  might  have  a  salutary  influence  upon  my  very  singular, 
very  troublesome,  and  very  obstinate  case,  if  I  can  judge  of  their 
agreeable  effect  upon  my  skin,  my  spirits  and  system  generally,  in  so 
short  a  time  as  three  days.    There  was  a  continued  reduction  of  the 

pulse   from  accelerated  action,  produced   at   the  Sulphur 

Spring,  by  drinking  its  waters  ;  but  it  varied,  being  considerably 
quickened  in  the  evening  and  during  the  night.  The  appetite  was 
much  improved  and  continued  uniform.  I  regret  that  I  could  not 
remain  long  enough  at  the  Grey  Sulphur  to  test  its  effects  upon  my 
chronic  complaints. 

No.  4. 


Mr.  H 
45 


had  had  frequent  hemorrhages,  accompanied  with  a 


/ 


354  APPENDIX. 

pain  in  the  chest ;  his  cough  was  slight,  but  he  suffered  much  from 
phlegm.  Twenty-four  hours  after  being  at  the  Grey  Sulphur,  on 
examining  his  pulse,  it  was  found  to  be  about  one  hundred.  Made 
use  of  the  Anti-Dyspeptic  Spring,  taking  about  three  tumblers  per 
diem.  Three  days  after,  (about  the  same  hour  of  the  day),  his 
pulse  was  again  examined  and  found  to  be  reduced  to  seventy-six 
beats  per  minute,  and  he  felt  much  better.    Having  left  home  for 

 Spring,  he  thought  it  is  duty  to  go  there.    About  a  month 

after,  he  returned.  He  had  gradually  improved  in  health,  and 
looked  much  better,  and  was  evidently  so.  His  pulse,  however,  was 
much  too  frequent,  and  he  could  not  get  it  lowered.  After  leaving 
the  Grey  Sulphur,  it  had  risen  up,  from  eighty-five  to  ninetj' .  and 
in  the  afternoon  was  frequentl}^  at  one  hundred.  In  the  afternoon 
of  the  day  he  arrived,  his  pulse  was  counted,  and  found  to  be  one 

hundred.    After  remaining  five  days,  he  again  left  for  the  

Spring,  his  pulse  varied,  during  his  stay  at  the  Grey,  from  seventy- 
five  to  ninety,  but  never  reached  as  high  as  one  hundred.  His  com- 
plexion became  clearer,  his  spirits  better,  and  his  cough  entirely  left 

him.    It  had  been  gradually  lessening  at  the  Spring,  but  he 

could  not  get  rid  of  it  altogether,  and  was,  moreover,  very  annoying 
to  him  early  in  the  mornings.  In  reply  to  an  enquiry,  he  stated, 
after  a  little  reflection,  "that  he  had  not  coughed  once,  that  he  could 
recollect,  since  his  (recent)  arrival  at  the  Grey,  and  expectorated 
with  more  ease  the  phlegm  which  collected  in  his  throat." 

Note. — The  above  is  extracted  from  notes  we  kept  of  a  few 
cases  during  last  summer.  Not  intending,  at  first,  to  publish  them, 
we  did  not  ask  the  consent  of  Mr.  H.,  and  we  hope  he  will  pardon 
the  liberty  we  have  taken. 

The  three  following  cases,  which  occurred  in  1834,  we  give 
from  notes  made  soon  after,  and  while  the  circumstances  were  fresh 
in  our  memory,  and  for  the  correctness  of  v/hich  we  hold  ourselves 
responsible. 

No.  5. 

Mr.  A.  W.,  of  Baltimore,  arrived  at  the  Grey  Sulphur,  in  Aug., 
1834.  His  health  had  been  feeble  for  some  time,  though  in  appear- 
ance he  looked  but  little  like  an  invalid.  On  the  morning  of  the 
second  day  after  his  arrival  at  the  Grey  Sulphur,  he  had,  whilst 
standing  at  the  Spring  house  a  considerable  hemorrhage — a  half 
pint  of  blood,  at  least,  w^as  spit  up  in  a  very  short  time.  A  little 
common  salt  was  administered,  which  had  the  effect  of  stopping  it. 
It  being  deemed  improper  for  him  to  move  immediately,  he  was  in- 
duced to  lie  down  on  one  of  the  benches.  About  half  an  hour  after 
this  occurrence,  his  pulse  was  felt  for  the  first  time.  It  then  beat 
one  hundred  and  eighteen  per  minute  ;  nor  did  it  vary  for  the  next 
half  hour.  He  was  persuaded  to  take  some  of  the  water  of  the  Anti- 
Dyspeptic  Spring,  which  he  was  loth  at  first  to  do,  lest  a  recurrence 


APPENDIX. 


355 


of  the  hemorrhage  should  take  place.  He  took  about  a  half  pint  of 
water,  m  small  quantities  at  a  time,  with  intervals  of  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  minutes  between  each.  In  about  an  hour  from  the  drinking 
of  this  portion  of  the  water,  his  pulse  was  reduced  to  ninety-eight 
beats  per  minute.  Soon  after,  he  was  assisted  up  to  his  room  and 
put  to  bed.  His  pulse  was  not  again  examined  until  about  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  (the  hemorrhage  had  occurred  about  ten 
o'clock  a.  m.),  it  was  then  found  to  have  fallen  to  eighty-six.  In 
the  course  of  the  day,  he  had  taken  about  a  pint  of  water,  in  quan- 
tities of  about  a  half  tumbler  at  a  time.  The  next  morning  his 
pulse  was  again  examined,  and  found  to  have  fallen  to  eighty-four 
beats  per  minute.  In  the  course  of  the  day,  he  left  his  bed  and  came 
down  stairs,  and  the  day  following,  he  left  the  Gre}^  for  the  Red 
Sulphur,  to  obtain  medical  advice.  His  pulse  was  not  examined 
after  he  left  his  bed. 

No.  6. 

Mr.  M.,  of  South  Carolina,  had  been  long  a  dyspeptic,  and  had 
suffered,  for  many  years,  from  Chronic  Diarrhoea.  Early  in  the 
season  of  1834,  he  visited  the  Saratoga  Spring,  the  water  proved  in-  » 
jurious  to  him.  From  thence  he  visited  the  White  Sulphur,  Salt 
Sulphur,  and  Red  Sulphur  Springs,  without  experiencing  material 
benefit.  When  he  arrived  at  the  Grey  Sulphur  Spring,  he  was  ex- 
ceedingly feeble  and  had  to  be  assisted  about,  and  for  several  days 
scarce  ever  left  his  chamber,  except  at  meal  times.  His  passages 
were  very  frequent,  from  eight  to  ten  during  the  night,  and  about 
the  same  number  during  the  day.  He  had  entirely  lost  the  power 
of  secreting  urine,  and  all  liquids  which  he  drank  passed  through 
his  bowels  mixed  up  with  undigested  food.  His  passages  were  thin 
and  of  a  whitish  clay  color,  apparently  made  up  of  water  and  undi- 
gested food,  the  latter  so  little  changed  as  to  be  easily  recognized. 
In  three  days,  his  passages  were  reduced  to  from  two  to  three  each 
night,  and  about  the  same  number  during  the  day,  the  consistency 
and  color  also  changed.  In  a  week's  time  the  change  was  still 
greater.  The  number  of  passages  were  about  the  same,  but  they 
became  of  a  bright  yellow  color,  and  similar  to  a  child's  in  consist- 
ency. He  moreover  secreted  urine  free,  and  one  occasion  he  in- 
formed us,  that  he  had  passed  a  large  quantity  of  pure  bile."  His 
bowels  remained  nearl}^  in  this  state,  during  the  time  he  remained  at 
the  Spring,  (about  a  fortnight),  but  he  improved  greatly  in  bodily 
health,  walked  out,  was  cheerful,  and  in  every  respect  appeared  bet- 
ter. The  intended  stoppage  of  the  stage  hurried  him  oif  earlier  than 
he  wished.  He  left  the  Grey  Sulphur  with  the  belief  that  he  had 
derived  considerable  benefit  from  the  use  of  the  waters.  It  is  proper 
to  remark,  that  his  appetite  was  enormous,  and  that  he  did  not  re- 
strict himself  in  his  diet. 

Note. — There  was  several  other  cases  of  Diarrhoea  at  the  Grey 


356 


APPENDIX. 


Sulphur  in  1834  ;  all  were  materially  benefitted  by  the  use  of  the 
Anti-Dyspeptic  Spring. 

No.  7. 

Mr.  L.,  arrived  at  the  Grey  Sulphur  Spring  about  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon.  He  had  been  for  some  time  in  a  delicate  state  of 
health  and  had  suffered  much  during  the  day.  Earl}^  in  the  morn- 
ing he  had  been  seized  with  nausea,  which  brought  on  vomiting. 
The  irritation  increased  during  the  day,  and  the  vomiting  became 
frequent  and  easily  excited  ;  all  food  was  immediately  rejected,  and 
so  irritable  became  the  stomach,  that  two  mouthfuls  of  water,  taken 
a  short  time  before  reaching  the  Grey  Sulphur,  were  thrown  up 
before  he  could  recline  back  in  his  carriage.  He  was  very  much  ex- 
hausted when  he  arrived,  but  without  sitting  down,  requested  to  be 
shown  to  the  Spring.  We  accompanied  him  down.  He  took  a  glass 
of  the  Anti- Dyspeptic  Spring,  paused  for  a  few  seconds,  then  took 
another.  A  minute  or  two  elapsed,  and  he  then  drank  several  in 
quick  succession.  The  precise  properties  of  the  water  had  not  then 
been  ascertained,  and  we  felt  bound  to  caution  him  against  making 
such  free  use  of  an  untried  water,  although  we  then  knew  nothing 
of  his  case.  He  laid  down  the  glass  and  walked  up  to  the  house 
with  us.  On  the  way,  he  mentioned  the  particulars  already  given, 
in  continuation,  he  stated,  that  on  drinking  the  first  tumble  of  water, 
he  experienced  a  slight  nausea,  as  the  first  of  it  reached  the  coat  of 
the  stomach,  but  that  this  wore  off  almost  instantaneously.  Being 
much  exhausted  and  exceedingly  thirsty,  he  determined  to  venture 
a  second,  although  he  firmly  believed  that  both  would  be  thrown 
up.  Not  the  slightest  nausea  was  experienced  on  drinking  the 
second  tumbler  of  water.  Surprised  at  this  effect  he  determined  to 
ascertain  what  would  be  the  effect  of  taking  it  in  large  quantities, 
and  for  this  purpose  he  drank  about  four  tumbles  more,  when  he 
was  prevented  from  proceeding  further  by  our  remarks.  The  great 
quantity  he  had  taken,  not  only  produced  no  unpleasant  sensations, 
but  on  the  contrary,  removed  those  he  had  previously  experienced, 
and  served  to  revive  him.  In  the  course  of  the  afternoon,  he  took 
two  or  three  glasses  more  of  the  water.  About  seven  o'clock,  supper 
was  served,  of  which  he  partook  freely,  making  choice  of  substan- 
tial food,  such  as  broiled  chicken,  bread,  rice,  &c.  Not  the  slight- 
est nausea  was  produced.  Fearing  a  reccurrence  the  next  morning, 
he  was  advised  to  take  some  of  the  water  before  he  left  his  bed.  We 
were  informed,  that  a  slight  nausea  was  felt,  but  it  immediately  wore 
off  on  drinking  a  glass  of  water.  In  similar  attacks,  which  this  gen- 
tleman had  previously  had,  each  was  succeeded  by  such  costiveness 
that  medicine  had  to  be  resorted  to.  In  the  present  one,  there  was 
no  occasion  for  medicine  ;  the  evacuations  were  large  and  the  bowels 
continued  regular  during  the  time  he  remained  ;  nor  did  he  at  any 
time  experience  any  nausea,  with  which  we  were  made  acquainted. 


APPENDIX. 


357 


No.  8. 

Extract  of  a  Leiler^  dated  New  York,  Jan.  21, 1836. 

"  It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  inform  you,  that  I  fully  realized  all 
the  benefit  I  had  been  led  to  anticipate  from  the  use  of  the  waters 
of  the  Grey  Sulphur  (Anti-Despeptic)  Spring,  with  w^hich  you  so 
kindly  provided  me.  On  Monday  morning,  I  was  very  sea  sick,  so 
that  I  could  not  leave  my  berth  without  vomiting,  but  on  taking  a 
half  a  tumbler  of  the  water,  I.  was  sensibly  relieved.  I  continued  to 
use  it  agreeably  to  your  directions,  taking  half  a  tumbler  at  inter- 
vals of  fifteen  minutes,  till  the  bottle  was  exhausted.  By  that  time, 
I  had  so  far  recovered  as  to  be  able  to  go  about  the  deck  with  great 
comfort,  and  took  a  hearty  meal,  both  at  dinner  and  supper.  The 
next  morning,  however,  the  weather  having  become  more  boistrous, 
and  the  sea  running  high,  I  was  again  very  sick,  but  my  resources 
had  failed  me,  and  I  had  only  to  yield  myself  quietly  to  the  influ- 
ence of  that  most  distressing  affection.  From  the  result  of  the  ex- 
periment, I  am  satisfied  that  it  is  the  best  remedy  for  sea  sickness 
that  I  have  ever  heard  of,  and  that,  had  not  not  the  supply  of  water 
failed,  I  should  not  have  lost  one  meal  during  the  voyage,. 

The  following  note  which  has  been  kindly  furnished  us,  refers 
to  the  same  subject : 

Dear  Sir, — The  following  is  an  extract  of  a  letter  received  by 
me,  from  Mr.  J.  H.,  who  went  passenger  by  the  steamboat  Wm. 
Gibbons,  in  January  last,  showing  the  very  beneficial  effects  of  the 
Grey  Sulphur  Water,  in  relieving  him  from  sea  sickness. 

The  effect  of  the  water  on  me,  were  most  beneficial,  and  while 
the  supply  lasted,  relieved  me  entirely  of  nausea,  so  that  I  was  en- 
abled to  eat  heartily." 

Having  been  at  sea  with  Mr.  H.,  I  bear  testimony  that  he  is  a 
complete  victim  to  sea  sickness,  and  I  do  not  know  any  one  on  whom 
the  effects  of  the  w^ater  could  be  better  tested. 

No.  9. 

Sir, — It  affords  me  pleasure  to  bear  testimony  to  the  efficacy  of 
the  waters  of  the  Grey  Sulphur  Springs  in  my  case.  I  have  been 
suffering  from  Dyspepsia,  for  at  least  fifteen  years,  during  which 
time  it  has  made  fearful  inroads  on  a  naturally  delicate  constitution. 
The  disease  had  progressed  so  far  (a  few  years  ago)  that  the  slight 
stimulus  of  food,  produced  an  immediate  evacuation  after  every  meal. 
The  state  of  things  could  not  last,  and  a  most  violent  inflammation 
of  the  bowels  ensued,  which  brought  me  to  the  borders  of  the  grave, 
and  evenuated  in  the  formation  of  a  fisiala  in  anno.  The  sinusses 
spread  so  far,  and  became  so  numerous,  that  I  was  forced  to  have 
some  of  them  laid  open,  but  having  a  predisposition  to  pulmonary 
affections,  it  was  not  deemed  prudent  to  operate  on  all  of  them.  My 
digestive  organs  had  not  recovered  their  strength,  and  the  irrita- 


358 


APPENDIX. 


tion  of  undigested  food,  (though  I  had  lived  extremely  low),  kept 
up  the  inflammation,  and  at  last  extended  to  the  neck  of  the  blad- 
der, and  became  extremely  distressing.  To  remove  the  inflamma- 
tion and  obtain  relief,  I  had  recourse  to  mustard  poultices  and 
opiates,  but  the  relief  was  very  temporary.  Whilst  suffering  much 
from  this  cause,  I  was  induced  to  set  oft'  for  the  Virginia  Springs. 
At  that  time  my  bodily  health  was  so  much  impaired,  that  I  was  al- 
most incapable  of  transacting  business  ;  all  employment,  even  read- 
ing, was  irksome  to  me.  My  digestion  was  so  bad  that  I  scarcely 
knew  what  to  live  on  ;  every  thing,  however  plain,  appeared  to  dis- 
agree with  me,  and  I  was  at  times  truly  wearied  of  life,  for  I  looked 
forward  only  to  a  life  of  pain  and  suffering.  Such  was  my  situation, 
when  in  1834,  I  left  my  home  for  the  Springs.  On  my  journey,  I 
did  not  improve  in  health,  but  on  the  contrary,  had  a  slight  attack 
of  diarrhoea.  The  irritation  around  the  bladder  continued,  or  rather 
increased,  so  that  I  was  obliged  to  make  use  of  the  opiates  daily,  and 
sometimes,  two  or  three  times  in  the  course  of  the  day.  The  first 
Spring  I  arrived  at,  was  the  Grey  Sulphur.  This  I  consider  fortun- . 
ate,  as  I  found  on  trial,  that  all  the  others  were  too  stimulating  for 
me,  with  the  exception  of  the  Red  Sulphur,  and  from  that,  I  am  not 
aware  of  experiencing  any  material  benefit.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it 
enabled  me  satisfactorily  to  ascertain  that  the  waters  of  the  Grey 
Sulphur  Spring  was  decidedly  beneficial  in  my  case.  I  can  scarcely 
describe  my  situation  when  I  arrived  at  your  Spring.  I  was  weak, 
feverish,  and  laboring  under  a  kind  of  nervous  excitement,  whilst 
the  inflammation  had  evidently  increased,  and  I  suffered  much  from 
it,  especially  towards  evening.  I  have  been  thus  particular,  that  the 
action  of  the  water  may  be  more  distinctly  understood.  The  first 
day  of  my  arrival,  I  drank  freely  of  the  Anti-Dyspeptic  Spring.  I 
took  no  note  of  the  quantity,  but  drank  whenever  I  felt  thirsty,  or 
had  an  inclination,  and  I  must  confess,  but  with  little  expectation  of 
finding  relief,  or  at  least,  not  immediate,  for  5'Our  Spring  had  not 
then  obtained  that  celebrity,  which  I  am  glad  to  find  it  has  since 
acquired.  Judge,  then,  of  my  very  agreeable  surprise,  at  finding  in 
the  evening,  (the  time  when  the  paroxysms  of  pain  were  unsually  the 
most  violent),  that  they  were  so  slight  that  I  had  no  need  of  medi- 
cine. I  retired  to  rest  and  slept  soundly.  The  next  day  I  was  not 
at  all  annoyed,  and  at  the  usual  time,  I  scarcely  perceived  that  there 
was  any  irritation  at  all.  The  third  day  I  was  entirely  relieved,  and 
had  no  return  during  my  stay  at  the  Spring,  nor  had  I  occasion  once 
to  use  any  medicine. 

Other  changes  not  less  important,  also  took  place.  The  diar- 
rhoea ceased  on  the  second  day,  and  in  the  course  of  the  week  the 
evacuations,  from  being  thin  and  of  a  whitish  clay  color,  became  of 
an  orange  color,  and  acquired  considerable  firmness,  and  in  a  short 
time  afterwards,  acquired  all  the  characteristics  of  healthy  passages. 
It  is  needless  to  say  that  my  digestion  had  improved.  One  thing  is 
worthy  of  remark,  and  that  is,  that  I  found  myself  able  to  digest, 


APPENDIX. 


359 


not  only  plain  food,  but  also  the  richer  kinds,  and  even  desserts  ; 
and  this  without  suffering,  and  even  without  experiencing  any  un- 
pleasant feeling  after  meals.  I  should  here  state,  however,  that  I 
invariably  took  from  one  to  two  tumblers  of  the  water  after  each  meal, 
and  I  found  this  peculiarly  serviceable  after  breakfast,  when  the 
tea,  or  coffee,  became  (almost  invariably  at  first)  acid.  During  my 
sojourn  with  3^ou,  I  improved  in  every  respect,  and  even  the  dis- 
charge from  the  fistulas  ceased  nearly  altogether,  and  returned  home 
in,  comparatively,  excellent  health,  which  I  enjoyed,  until  unfor- 
tunately I  was  attacked  with  the  influenza  during  the  last  winter. 
From  that  time  I  began  to  retrograde,  and  when  summer  arrived,  I 
was  in  almost  as  bad  condition  as  the  year  previous.  The  inflam- 
mation and  irritation  were  quite  as  violent,  and  my  digestion  had 
again  become  disordered.  I  had  experienced  too  much  relief  at  the 
Grey  Sulphur,  to  hesitate  long  as  to  the  course  proper  to  be  pursued, 
and  again  I  had  the  pleasure  of  visiting  them  the  last  season.  I 
have  only  to  say,  that  the  same  happy  effects  were  produced,  the 
only  difference  I  observed  was,  that  these  were  not  so  immediate  as 
the  year  previous,  but  I  amply  compensated  for  this  by  their  per- 
manency. And  I  have  now  the  pleasure  of  staging  to  yon,  that  I 
have  enjoyed,  and  am  now  enjoying  (February  12th)  better  health 
than  I  have  known  for  the  last  ten  or  twelve  years,  and  most  happy 
am  I  to  state  to  you,  that  I  have  not  had  the  slightest  indication  of 
inflammation  in  those  regions  where  I  had  suffered  so  much. 

I  remain,  Dear  Sir,  yours,  &c., 

No.  10. 

Mr.  B.  has  had  a  bronchial  affection  for  many  years,  which  at 
times  were  so  distressing  as  to  compel  him  to  remain  propped  up  in 
a  sitting  posture,  in  bed,  the  whole  night,  and  in  this  mode  obtain 
some  sleep.  To  obtain  relief  from  this  affection,  he  now  traveled. 
When  he  first  arrived  at  the  Grey  Sulphur,  the  cough  was  very 
troublesome.  Made  use  of  the  Anti-Dyspeptic  Spring,  which  had 
the  effect  of  producing  a  gentle  perspiration,  especially  at  night,  and 
which  effect  was  continued  whenever  the  water  was  taken,  during 
the  whole  time  of  his  stay.  The  cough  gradually  diminished,  until 
it  almost  disappeared  altogether.  At  first  there  was  considerable 
difficulty  in  getting  up  the  phlegm,  but  after  drinking  the  water  a 
short  time,  it  was  expectorated  with  ease.  During  the  time  he  was 
at  Grey  Sulphur,  he  slept  well,  had  an  excellent  appetite,  and  could 
easily  digest  whatever  he  partook  of.  B. 

The  above  statement  of  cases,  was  submitted  to  Professors  Jas. 
Moultrie,  Jr.,  and  S.  Henry  Dickson,  of  the  Medical  College  of  the 
State  of  South  Carolina.  The  following  letters  will  show  the  opin- 
ion entertained  by  these  gentlemen  relative  to  the  medical  properties 
of  these  waters. 


36o 


APPENDIX. 


Charleston,  Feb.  nth,  1836. 
Dear  Sir, — I  have  overlooked  your  intended  publication  to- 
gether with  the  accompanying  documents.  I  think  the  statements 
furnished  by  the  latter,  fully  authorizes  you  to  put  forth  what  you 
propose.  The  amount  of  experience  with  the  waters  is  very  small,  to 
be  sure,  but  such  as  it  is,  it  is  calculated  to  excite  strong  presumption 
in  their  favor.  Indeed,  considering  their  anal3^sis,  jointly  with  the 
facts  furnished  by  j^our  documents,  I  have  confident  expectations 
that  they  will  prove  among  the  most  useful  discoveries  of  that  sort, 
yet  made  in  our  country.  All  thus  early  known  to  them,  encour- 
ages us  to  look  for  future  corroberation  of  the  impressions  you  have 
imbibed  respecting  their  virtues.  Considering  their  elements,  they 
cannot  be  nugatory,  and  must  therefore,  be  productive  of  benefit  or 
mischief.  Reasoning  from  what  we  already  know,  the  evidence  ap- 
pears to  be  altogether  in  favor  of  a  salutary  result. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Jas.  Moultrie,  Jr.,  M.D. 

J.  D.  lyEGARE,  Esq. 


Charleston,  Feb.  nth,  1836. 

Dear  Sir, — I  have  perused  with  attention  and  interest  the  papers 
sent  me,  containing  reports  of  cases  in  which  the  Water  of  your  Vir- 
ginia Spring  have  been  tried  ;  and  do  not  hesitate  to  express  the 
opinion,  that  they  fully  justify  the  statements  made  in  your  proposed 
publication.  Prof.  Shepard's  analysis  exhibits  a  singular  combina- 
tion of  ingredients,  and  prepare  us  to  anticipate  striking  and  grati- 
fying results  from  the  use  of  Waters  containing  remedies  of  such 
obvious  efficiency.  I  confess,  I  am  led  to  entertain  sanguine  expec- 
tations of  benefit  to  a  large  class  of  patients,  from  these  fountains,  and 
shall  be  much  disappointed  if  the  *'  Grey  Sulphur  Springs  "  do  not 
soon  attain  a  high  rank  among  the  summer  resorts  of  invalids,  and 
of  the  fashionable  world. 

With  great  regard,  I  remain,  Dear  Sir,  yours  faithfully, 

S.  Henry  Dickson,  M.D. 

J.  D.  Eegare,  Esq. 

We  here  close  for  the  present,  our  account  of  the  medical  prop- 
erties of  the  Grey  Sulphur  Springs.  The  report  of  cases  might  have 
been  more  extended,  had  we  applied  to  all  of  the  individuals,  who 
have  been  benefitted  by  the  use  of  these  waters.  It  was  not  deemed 
necessary  to  do  so.,  Invalids,  with  strongly  marked  cases,  will  in  all 
probability  visit  these  Springs,  during  the  next  and  succeeding  sea- 
sons, and  it  is  our  intention  to  preserve  a  record  of  such  as  may  be 
communitated  to  us.  John  D.  I^EGARE. 


APPENDIX.  :,6i 


CHAPTER  VI. 
WINCHESTER. 

The  reader  will  doubtless  recollect  that  this  flourishing  town 
was  established  by  law  in  the  year  1752.  In  1738,  there  were  but 
two  cabins  erected  near  the  run.  It  is  now  a  very  wealthy  corpor- 
ate town,  has  its  own  court  of  justice,  is  the  seat  of  justice  for  the 
County  of  Frederick,  is  the  place  where  the  Supreme  Courts  of 
Chancery  and  Law  are  held  for  the  county,  the  residence  of  many 
distinguished  lawyers  and  ph5^sicians,  has  a  flourishing  academy  and 
numerous  Classical  and  English  Schools,  many  mechanical  estab- 
lishments of  first  order,  some  thirty  or  forty  retail  stores,  a  number 
of  taverns  kept  in  the  best  style,  several  confectionary  shops,  several 
merchant  tailors,  and  almost  every  variety  of  business  done  in  our 
seaport  cities.  Its  buildings  are  many  of  brick  of  superior  order. 
Taylor's  hotel  is  conspicuous  for  its  great  size  and  elegance  oj 
structure.  Its  front  on  Loudon  street  is  ninety  feet  and  runs  its 
wings  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet  back,  contains  seventy  rooms, 
is  calculated  to  entertain  numerous  companies  of  visitors  and 
boarders,  and  is  kept  in  superb  style.  This  building  is  three 
stories  ;  the  basement  story  is  divided  into  cellars  and  several  rooms 
furnished  in  the  neatest  manner ;  the  attic  is  divided  into  lodging 
rooms,  which  are  also  furnished  in  neat  style.  It  commands  an  im- 
mense business. 

Within  the  last  five  or  six  years  a  railroad  has  been  constructed 
from  Winchester  to  Harper's  Ferry,  on  the  Baltimore  highway  ;  six 
or  seven  spacious  warehouses  erected  at  the  commencement  of  the 
road,  and  is  the  place  of  deposit  of  vast  quantities  of  merchandise 
and  produce  of  every  variety.  It  now  contains  upwards  of  4,000 
inhabitants,  and  is  a  place  of  great  business.  Several  gentleman, 
descended  from  German  ancestors,  who  have  accumulated  consider- 
able wealth,  are  among  them.  It  has  two  Presbyterian  edifices, 
handsomely  built,  as  places  of  public  worship  ;  one  Catholic  chapel  ; 
two  Methodist  meeting  houses,  and  a  splendid  Episcopal  church 
lately  erected  ;  the  Baptists  have  a  meeting  house,  as  also  the  Ger- 
man Lutherans  ;  and  the  Friends  have  a  neat  brick  building.  The 
people  are  divided  into  various  religious  sects,  and  it  is  believed 
much  piety  prevails.  It  is  doubtless  one  of  the  finest  watered  towns 
in  the  valley,  and  a  place  of  general  good  health.  Fine  water  is 
conveyed  through  iron  pipes  to  almost  every  part  of  the  town  ;  there 

46 


562 


APPENDIX. 


are  many  hydrants  erected  in  the  streets  ;  afid  many  of  the  citizens 
have  the  water  conveyed  into  their  yards.  This  water  is  taken 
from  a  fine  limestone  spring  about  half  a  mile  west  of  the  towm. 
There  is  a  regular  organized  Fire  Company,  remarkable  for  their 
excellent  discipline  and  activity.  But  few  houses  have  ever  been  des- 
troyed by  fire.  The  author  recollects  seeing  an  old  house  on  Lou- 
don street  destroyed  by  fire  upwards  of  thirt}^  j^ears  ago  ;  the  wind 
blew  a  strong  gale  from  the  N.  W.,  and  notwithstanding  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  street  was  closely  built  with  wooden  houses,  such 
v;as  the  activity  of  the  fire  comp^iny  and  other  citizens,  that  every 
building  w^as  saved  except  the  one  which  first  took  fire.  Several 
3^ears  afterwards,  a  fire  broke  out  in  a  wooden  building  at  the  north 
end  of  the  town,  and  the  flames  spread  with  great  rapidity.  It  was 
said  that  twenty-two  buildings  took  fire  at  the  same  time,  and  but 
two  small  buildings  consumed  ;  those  two  belonged  to  an  old  gentle- 
man by  the  name  of  Benjamin  Rutherford,  and  stood  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  yards  apart.  The  astonishing  exertions  and  ac- 
tivity of  the  fire  companj^,  together  with  the  aid  of  every  citizen, 
and  even  ladies,  saved  twenty  buildings  on  fire  at  the  same 
time  ;  and  what  was  remakable,  but  little  damage  was  done  the 
buildings  were  saved.  A  few  years  ago,  there  were  three  old 
wooden  buildings  on  Loudon  street  burned  down,  but  the  flames 
were  so  kept  under,  that  no  other  damage  were  done.  About  sixty 
years  ago,  a  framed  building  on  Loudon  street,  which  was  called  the 
"Long  Ordinary,"  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  an  old  building  on 
the  west  side  of  the  town,  called  The  Brewery,"  was  destroyed  by 
fire.  The  author  recollects  seeing  this  building  on  fire.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  the  foregoing  statements  contains  a  true  account  of 
all  the  houses  destroyed  by  fire  for  the  last  sixty  or  seventy  years. 
So  that  it  may  truly  be  said,  that  Winchester  has  heretofore  been 
very  fortunate. 

STAUNTON. 

This  town  may  with  truth  be  said  to  be  classical  ground.  In 
the  war  of  the  Revolution,  the  Legislature  had  assembled  at  Rich- 
mond ;  the  enemy  had  advanced  to  the  seat  of  government,  and  the 
assembly  adjourned  and  met  at  Charlottesville,  Tarlton  pursued 
them  thither,  and  they  again  adjourned  and  met  at  Staunton, 
here  they  finished  their  session.  Tarlton  did  not  dare  interrupt 
them  there,  for  the  best  of  all  reasons  ;  the  people  of  Augusta  and 
adjoining  counties  were  a  brave,  hardy,  and  active  race,  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  use  of  the  rifle  ;  and  if  Tarlton  had  ventured  to 
pursue  them  to  Staunton,  he  would  in  all  probability  have  met  with 
another  Cowpen  defeat."  The  citizens  turned  out  manfully,  well 
armed,  and  determined  to  contest  his  march  to  that  place,  and  pro- 
tect their  legislators  in  their  deliberations. 

Staunton,  like  Winchester,  has  incorporated  privileges,  its  own 


APPENDIX, 


363 


court  of  justice,  is  the  seat  of  justice  for  Augusta  county,  and  the 
place  for  holding  Superior  Courts  of  Law  and  Chancery  for  the 
county,  is  the  residence  of  several  distinguished  lawyers  and  physi- 
cians, and  is  the  site  of  a  Lunatic  Hospital  of  great  reputation.  It 
has  several  beautiful  edifices  erected  for  public  worship,  and  fif- 
teen or  twenty  retail  stores,  with  four  or  five  taverns  kept  in  a  good 
style.  It  is  surrounded  by  many  valuable  farms,  and  a  considerable 
number  of  elegant  brick  dwelling  houses,  has  several  turnpike  roads 
leading  to  East  and  West,  North  and  South,  from  which  it  derives 
great  advantages,  and  of  course  is  a  place  of  extensive  business. 
In  all  human  probability,  it  is  destined  at  some  future  day  to  become 
the  site  of  our  State  government.  Its  central  situation,  the  fine 
health  of  the  country,  its  contiguity  to  the  numerous  mineral 
springs,  its  safety  from  danger  of  invasion  from  a  foreign  enemy  in 
time  of  war,  present  most  cogent  arguments  in  its  favor,  and  when- 
ever our  western  counties  shall  be  filled  with  population,  we  will 
have  a  considerable  majority  of  the  free  white  population  west  of 
the  Blue  Ridge,  and  it  appears  to  the  mind  of  the  author,  that  the 
people  of  the  west  will  not  rest  satisfied  with  their  seat  of  govern- 
ment in  its  present  situation. 

Staunton  has  become  conspicuous  in  the  history  of  our  State 
for  other  important  reasons.  It  is  the  place  where  two  large  con- 
ventions of  citizens  were  held  some  years  ago,  for  deliberating  on 
the  great  question  of  reforming  our  State  Constitution.  The  last  of 
which  conventions  was  held  in  the  month  of  July,  1825.  In  this 
convention  upwards  of  one  hundred  members  attended.  Their  pro- 
ceedings were  characterized  by  great  temperance,  but  much  energy. 
A  most  solemn  appeal  was  made  to  the  Legislature  on  this  vital 
question,  and  at  the  ensuing  session,  an  act  passed  submitting  this 
question  to  the  lawful  voters  of  the  State,  which  resulted  in  a  ma- 
jority of  the  citizens  in  favor  of  the  necessity  of  calling  a  conven- 
tion for  the  purpose  of  revising  and  amending  the  organic  law  of  our 
State.  This  body  was  elected  in  the  spring  of  1826,  and  assembled 
at  the  capital  in  the  city  of  Richmond,  the  ensuing  autumn,  and 
drew  up  certain  amendments  to  the  original  constitution,  which 
were  submitted  to  the  people  for  their  first  ratification  or  rejection. 
There  were  many  of  our  ablest  statesmen  opposed  to  its  ratification, 
but  a  majority  of  our  citizens  voted  for  its  adoption. 

I^KWISBURG. 

This  is  a  thriving  village  in  the  County  of  Greenbrier,  west  of 
the  Alleghany  Mountains.  It  is  yet  but  a  small  village,  but  the 
seat  of  justice  for  the  county.  There  is  a  Superior  Court  of  Law 
and  Chancery  and  a  Court  of  Appeals.  It  has  become  conspicuous 
in  the  history  of  the  State,  from  the  circumstance,  that  a  conven- 
tion was  lately  held  there  of  the  citizens  of  the  western  common- 
wealth, by  which  resolutions  were  passed,  recommending  a  further 


364 


APPENDIX. 


amendment  to  the  State  Constitution  so  as  to  give  a  more 
equal  representation  of  the  two  great  divisions  of  the  State  in  the 
General  Assembly.  Neither  is  it  undeserving  of  celebrity  on  account 
of  its  several  religious  edifices,  among  which  the  Presbyterian  de- 
serves first  to  be  named  from  its  size  and  commodious  internal  ar- 
rangements. The  Methodists  and  Baptists  respectively,  have  also 
chaste  and  convenient  houses  for  public  worship.  There  are  sever- 
al elegant  brick  dwelling  houses  in  the  village,  from  six  to  seven 
retail  stores,  and  two  public  hotels,  under  excellent  management. 
From  the  locality  of  the  village,  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  produc- 
tive country,  steadily  increasing  in  population  and  wealth,  it  is  des- 
tined to  become  a  place  of  considerable  business  and  importance. 
The  face  of  the  country  contiguous  to  and  surrounding  the  village, 
is  beautifully  diversified  by  hills  and  valleys,  woods  and  fertile  fields, 
and  the  town,  with  the  whole  of  the  circumjacent  region,  is  remark- 
able for  the  salubrity  and  healthiness  of  climate. 

THE  FINE  ARTS. 

From  the  youth  of  our  Commonwealth,  and  the  character  of 
our  people,  devoted  almost  exclusively,  as  they  have  been,  to  agri- 
culture and  its  collateral  pursuits,  we  cannot  as  yet,  nor  is  it  yet 
expected  that  we  can,  produce  before  the  world,  any  Masters  in  the 
fine  arts  comparable  with  the  old  Masters  of  Europe.  Yet,  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  we  have  as  yet  no  representatives  in  sculpture 
to  stand  by  the  side  of  Canova,  nor  in  painting,  a  champion  to  com- 
pete with  a  Titian,  a  Guido,  a  Stuart,  yet  we  have  not  yet  been 
wholly  denied  the  genius  of  the  pencil.    Some  ten  years  since,  in 

the  County  of  Berkeley,  a  young  man  of  the  name  of  McCau- 

try,  with  the  intuitive  perception  only  exhibited  by  true  genius, 
commenced,  first  in  playful  sketches,  and  shortly  after  in  more  seri- 
ous efforts,  the  divine  art  of  painting.  Encouraged  by  this  rapid 
advancement,  he  subsequently  took  a  trip  to  the  hallowed  ground  of 
Italy,  there  to  perfect  himself  in  the  business  of  his  choice.  He 
promised  much  from  improvement ;  but  shortly  after  his  return  to  his 
native  country,  he  died,  and  with  him  the  hopes  of  his  friends. 

Six  years  ago,  a  Mr.  Henry  Bowen,  of  Frederick  county,  a  self- 
taught  artist,  commenced  the  business  of  a  portrait  painter,  and 
such  was  his  proficiency  in  the  art  that  it  may  be  almost  said  of  him 
he  was  accomplished  in  it  from  the  outset.  He  has  since  devoted 
himself  assidiously  to  his  employment,  and  has  earned  thereby,  from 
the  striking  fidelity  of  his  sketches  to  truth  and  nature,  a  well-mer- 
ited reputation.  The  author  can  bear  the  safest  testimony  to  his 
character,  from  the  specimens  of  Mr.  Bowen  which  he  has  seen. 

CULTURE  OF  SILK. 

The  excellent  lady  of  Mr.  Amos  Lupton,  residing  within  two 


APPENDIX.  365 

and-a-half  mies  of  Winchester,  has  met  with  very  encouraging  suc- 
cess in  her  efforts  at  producing  silk  from  the  cultivation  of  the  trees 
and  the  domestication  of  all  the  worm.  She  exhibited  to  the  au- 
thor several  pair  of  hose  she  had  manufactured  from  this  silk,  and 
stating  her  intention  of  having  the  residue  of  the  raw  material  spun, 
and  wove  into  articles  of  wearing  apparel.  A  hired  woman,  mean- 
time, was  employed  in  spinning  the  silk  from  the  cocoons  upon  the 
common  flax-wheel,  and  really  made  considerable  headway  in  her 
delicate  task.  We  hope  that  Mrs.  Lupton  will  persevere  in  the  en- 
terprise ;  for  we  cannot  but  believe  that  our  soil  and  climate  are 
both  well  adapted  for  the  culture  of  silk.  Mr.  Lupton  has  been 
completely  successful  in  the  raising  of  the  Morus  Multicaulis,  the 
plants  having  grown  very  thrifty. 

0 

HYBRIDOUS. 

An  animal  was  begotten  betw^een  a  buck  and  a  young  cow 
about  twenty  years  ago.  The  extraordinary  and  beautiful  animal 
was  produced  in  the  neighborhood  of  Zane's  Old  Furnace.  The 
owner  intended  selling  it  to  a  butcher  to  make  a  veal  of  it ;  but  the 
late  Maj,  Bean  purchased  it,  and  intended  to  raise  it  by  hand.  He 
kept  it  several  weeks,  but  it  died,  and  with  it  the  hopes  of  Mr.  Bean 
and  many  of  the  neighbors.  Mr.  Bean  flattered  himself  with  high 
expectations  of  having  in  his  possession  one  of  the  most  rare,  beauti- 
ful, and  extraordinary  curiosities  in  nature's  work.  The  author  did 
not  get  the  opportunity  of  seeing  this  singular  creature,  but  several 
of  his  neighbors  visited  Mr.  Bean  for  the  express  purpose  of  viewing 
it,  who  reported  the  facts  to  the  writer  of  this  narrative.  It  was 
said  to  exhibit  the  head,  neck,  shoulders  and  forelegs  of  its  sire,  and 
hinder  parts  that  of  the  dam,  and  promised  to  grow^  to  pretty  good 
size.    It  was  a  male. 

The  author  saw  the  skin  of  a  double  calf  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Luray.  The  hide  was  carefully  taken  off  and  stuffed.  It  had  a 
double  body,  two  distinct  heads,  and  two  tails,  four  perfect  eyes,  and 
but  four  legs.  This  singular  extra  natural  production  was  in  pos- 
session of  Capt.  John  Gatewood,  jr. 

A  cow  OF  SIX  LEGS, 

Fifteen  or  sixteen  years  ago  the  late  Samuel  G.  Sydnor  owned 
a  cow  with  six  perfectly  formed  legs,  which  the  author  frequently 
saw.  It  had  two  extra  legs  formed  on  the  shoulders,  and  w^hen  it 
walked  these  legs  made  regular  motions.  They  hung  over  on  each 
side,  and  were  much  smaller  than  the  other  legs. 

SPLENDID  IMPROVED  FARM. 

Bushrod  B.  Washington,  Esq.,  a  few  years  ago  erected  a  very 


366  APPENDIX. 

large  brick  dwelling  house,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Charlestown, 
Jefferson  county,  with  all  the  necessary  offices.  This  building  with 
other  improvements  cost  upwards  of  thirty  thousand  dollars. 

The  building  was  finished  in  the  most  tasteful  style  of  modern 
architecture  ;  but  unfortunately,  some  two  or  three  years  ago,  it  ac- 
cidentally took  fire  ;  and  all  the  interior  works  were  consumed.  But 
the  writer  is  informed  Mr.  Washington  has  lately  rebuilt  it.  The 
author  obtained  a  sketch  of  its  dimensions,  but  has  unfortunately 
mislaid  the  memorandum.  Suffice  it  to  say,  it  is  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  elegant  edifices  in  our  country. 

Judge  Henry  St.  G.  Tucker  has  erected  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Leetown  a  most  splendid  stone  building,  rough  cast,  finished  in 
beautiful  style,  three  stories  high  ;  but  the  writer  does  not  recollect 
the  exact  size  of  the  edifice,  but  it  is  a  very  large  building.  Jeffer- 
son county  contains  a  great  number  of  fine  large  dwelling  houses, 
with  other  capital  improvements.  In  the  County  of  Clarke,  David 
H.  Allen,  Esq.,  has  lately  erected  a  brick  dwelling  on  a  beautiful 
eminence,  from  which  there  is  a  most  enchanting  view  of  the  Blue 
Ridge  and  adjacent  country.  It  is  sixty-six  feet  by  fifty,  with  a 
splendid  portico,  supported  b}^  a  beautiful  colonade  twenty-five  feet 
high  of  solid  pine  pillars. 

In  front  of  the  house  is  an  extended  lawn,  partly  covered  with 
a  sheet  of  transparent  water,  which  adds  greatly  to  the  novelty  and 
beauty  of  the  scenery.  Mr.  Allen  informed  the  writer,  that  some 
3^ears  ago  the  water  course  contained  much  dark  alluvian  mud,  on 
each  side,  ver}^  miry  and  difficult  to  cross.  He  hauled  out  six  thou- 
sand wagon  loads  of  the  mud  upon  the  adjoining  high  lands,  which 
so  increased  the  fertility,  that,  for  several  years  it  was  too  rich  for 
the  production  of  wheat. 

Mr,  Allen  is  pretty  extensively  engaged  in  the  stock  way.  A 
few  years  ago,  he  at  one  time  owned  one  hundred  and  twenty  head 
of  horses,  and  a  large  stock  of  improved  black  cattle,  sheep  and  hogs. 
Mr.  Allen  was  bred  to  the  law,  but  having  married  the  daughter  of 
the  late  Col.  Griffin  Taylor,  got  this  fine  estate  by  her  ;  and  his  father 
being  also  wealthy,  he  also  abandoned  the  practice,  and  lived  a  re- 
tired and  private  life  ever  since. 

Edward  Jaquline  Smith,  Esq.,  has  built  a  fine  brick  dwelling 
house,  large  and  tastefully  finished,  on  an  extensive  farm  in  the 
same  neighborhood.    He  is  a  most  judicious  and  successful  farmer. 

Col.  J.  W.  Ware  has  erected  a  fine  large  brick  building  near 
Mr.  Smith's,  is  also  a  successful  farmer,  is  remarkable  for  breeding 
the  very  finest  cattle  ;  and  his  stable  has  been  the  stand  for  several 
years,  of  the  very  finest  horses  which  have  been  imported  into  our 
country. 

Col.  Joseph  Tuly,  in  the  County  of  Clarke,  has  built  a  most 
splendid  and  expensive  mansion  on  his  beautiful  farm  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Millwood,  which  he  has  named  "Tulyries."  To  give  a 
detailed  account  of  this  fine  building  would  be  tedious  and  perhaps 


APPENDIX. 


367 


tiresome  to  the  reader.  It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  this  edifice  is 
sixty  feet  by  forty,  of  the  best  of  brick,  finished  from  the  base  to  the 
attic  in  the  most  elegant  style  of  modern  architecture,  and  is  covered 
with  tin.  A  spacious  portico,  supported  underneath  with  massive 
slabs,  with  pillars  of  solid  pine,  twenty-eight  feet  high,  supporting 
the  roof,  forming  a  most  beautiful  colonade,  based  on  square  marble 
blocks  ;  the  porch  floor  laid  with  white  marble,  and  marble  steps  ;  a 
spacious  entry  ;  a  spiral  stairway  running  from  the  passage  to  the 
summit,  on  v/hich  there  is  a  handsome  cupola  with  a  large  brass  ball 
erected  ;  the  fire-places  decorated  with  the  finest  marble  mantles  ; 
his  doors  and  windows  of  the  best  mahogany  ;  with  a  green  house 
in  which  there  is  sheltered  a  great  variety  of  the  richest  exotic 
plants  and  flowers  ;  the  yard  decorated  with  a  great  variety  of  native 
and  imported  trees  and  shrubbery,  with  several  orange  trees  which 
bear  fruit  handsomely.  Adjoining  the  yard,  an  extensive  park  is 
enclosed  in  the  forest,  within  which  enclosure  there  are  a  large  num- 
ber of  native  elks  and  deer.  The  old  buck  elk  will  not  suffer  any 
stranger  to  intrude  on  his  premises.  Col.  Tuly's  father  was  born 
and  raised  in  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  learned  the  trade  of  tanner, 
came  to  Virginia  a  young  man,  commenced  business  on  a  small  capi- 
tal, and  amassed  a  very  considerable  estate,  the  greater  part  of  which 
he  devised  to  his  only  son  Joseph.  The  Col.  carries  on  the  tanning 
business  extensively,  and  has  added  considerably  to  the  estate  left 
him  b}^  his  father.  He  farms  extensively  and  successfully,  and 
largely  in  the  stock  way. 

Mr.  John  Kerfoot,  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  ago,  built  a  large, 
comfortable  brick  dwelling,  finished  in  plain  style,  with  most  of  his 
offices  and  all  his  slaves'  houses  of  the  same  material.  In  approach- 
ing his  residence  it  strikes  the  eye  of  the  stranger  as  a  sprightly  vil- 
lage. Mr.  Kerfoot  is  beyond  question  one  of  the  most  enterprising, 
judicious,  and  successful  farmers  in  our  section  of  country.  He  has 
acquired  more  wealth  by  his  agricultural  pursuits,  than  any  indi- 
vidual with  the  author's  knowledge  ;  has  raised  a  large  family  of 
sons  and  daughters,  and  provided  handsomely  for  them  all  ;  has 
given  each  of  his  sons  fine  farms  and  every  necessary  to  commence 
business.  His  daughters  as  they  have  married  and  left  him  have 
each  of  them  been  handsomely  portioned  off.  Mr.  Kerfoot  is,  and 
lias  been  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  a  liberal, 
consistent  and  most  worthy  member.  He  is  rigidl)-'  punctual  in  his 
pecuniary  engagements  ;  it  is  said  of  him  that  he  was  never  known 
to  fail  in  a  single  instance  to  pay  or  fulfill  any  engagement  he  has 
entered  into.  Thus  coming  up  to  the  golden  gospel  rule  of  '  *  doing 
to  others  as  he  would  they  should  do  unto  him." 

Mr.  John  Richardson  is  now  the  owner  of  the  fine  tract  of  land 
formerly  owned  by,  and  the  residence  of  the  late.  Col.  Warner  Wash- 
ington, called  Fairfield,"  on  which  he  has,  established  an  exten- 
sive distillery.  The  house  is  built  of  brick,  attached  to  which  a 
large  yard  is  enclosed  and  nicel}?'  floored  with  the  same  material,  for 


368 


APPENDIX. 


the  purpose  of  raising  and  fattening  pork.  Abont  every  two  months 
he  sends  off  to  the  Baltimore  market  from  eighty  to  one  hundred 
head  of  finely  fattened  hogs.  Mr.  Richardson  is  a  man  of  great  in- 
dustry and  enterprise,  farms  extensively,  and  raises  a  fine  stock  of 
improved  cattle.  He,  like  many  of  our  citizens,  is  the  builder  of  his 
own  fortune,  having  commenced  on  a  very  small  capital. 

The  Rev.  Thomas  Kennerlyhas  lately  erected  a  beautiful,  plain, 
extensive  brick  mansion  at  "  Greenway  Court,"  the  ancient  resi- 
dence of  the  late  Lord  Fairfax,  now  in  the  County  of  Clarke,  near 
the  White  Post  village.  James  Madison  Hite,  Esq.,  resides  in  an 
elegant  brick  mansion,  contiguous  to  the  stone  bridge. 

Doctor  James  Hay  has  lately  built  in  the  same  neighborhood  a 
truly  splendid  edifice  of  considerable  size  and  finished  in  the  most 
elegant  manner. 

Doctor  Berkeley,  previous  to  his  death,  was  engaged  in  erect- 
ing a  brick  house  near  the  Shenandoah,  of  very  extensive  dimen- 
sions, but  before  he  had  finished  it  he  was  most  cruelly  murdered  by 
his  slaves,  and  his  body  consumed  in  a  most  tremendous  fire.  He 
w^as  robbed  of  a  large  sum  of  money  by  them,  which  they  scattered 
about  among  their  confederates,  part  of  which  was  found ;  but  it 
was  said  at  the  time,  that  a  considerable  part  of  it  was  lost.  John 
Rust,  Esq.,  has  lately  purchased  a  part  of  Doctor  Berkeley's  estate, 
including  this  fine  building,  which  he  has  had  finished  in  plain  neat 
style. 

Doctor  Berkeley  was  killed  in  1818.  Three  of  his  slaves,  one 
female  and  two  males,  were  tried  and  convicted  of  the  murder,  in 
Frederick  court,  and  all  three  executed  at  Winchester,  in  the  month 
of  July,  1 818.  The  representatives  of  the  Doctor  obtained  an  act  of 
assembly,  authorizing  them  to  sell  off  a  number  of  the  slaves  who 
were  suspected  with  being  concerned  in  the  murder,  and  they 
were  sent  to  the  South  and  sold.  The  estate  now  lies  in  the  County 
of  Warren. 

Capt.  Robert  C.  Burwell,  just  before  the  late  war,  erected  an  ele- 
gant brick  mansion  in  the  neighborhood  of  Millwood.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  the  war  he  commanded  a  company  of  the  militia,  and 
marched  at  the  head  of  his  company,  and  joined  the  standard  of 
his  country  at  Norfolk.  He  fell  a  sacrifice  to  that  unhealthy  climate 
and  died. 

Previously  to  leaving  home,  he  provided  his  last  will,  which  he 
devised  his  fine  estate  to  Philip  Nelson,  Esq.,  who  married  his  sis- 
ter, and  now  owns  this  elegant  property. 

The  late  Col.  Charles  Magill  commenced,  shortly  before  his 
death,  on  his  fine  farm  about  five  miles  south  of  Winchester,  a  very 
large  brick  dwelling,  but  died  before  it  was  finished.  Since  his 
death  it  has  been  finished,  and  now  is  the  residence  of  John  S.  Ma- 
gill, Esq.,  one  of  his  sons. 

Mr.  William  A.  Carter  is  now  erecting  a  splendid  brick  dwell- 
ing, about  two  miles  west  of  Newtown,  Stephensburg,  on  a  beauti- 


APPENDIX. 


369 


fill  eminence  which  commands  a  most  fasinating  view  of  this  village, 
the  adjacent  country  and  mountains  east  and  west,  for  a  vast  dis- 
tance.   It  is  covered  with  English  slate. 

Joseph  Neill,  Esq.,  has  erected  a  beautiful  brick  dwelling  at  the 
north  end  of  N.  T.  Stephensburg,  plastered  and  neatly  whitened  on 
the  outside.  His  neat  little  farm  on  which  the  buildings  are  erected 
adjoins  the  village. 

Mr.  Isaac  Hollingsworth  has  erected  a  splendid  brick  dwelling 
near  Winchester,  contiguous  to  his  fine  mills,  his  yard  and  curtilages 
handsomely  enclosed  with  first  rate  stone  walls. 

There  are  a  number  of  other  brick  dwelling  houses  in  the  several 
counties  named,  exclusively  of  those  particularly  mentioned  ;  and 
there  are  a  considerable  number  of  fine  large  stone  buildings. 

The  residence  of  George  H.  Burwell,  Esq.,  is  most  splendidly 
improved  with  stone  buildings.  It  adjoins  the  village  of  Millwood, 
called  ' '  Carter  Hall. ' '  The  main  building  is  sixty-six  feet  by  thirty, 
three  stories  ;  with  a  wing  at  each  end,  twent3'-one  feet  long,  two 
stories  high  ;  the  whole  building  finished  in  the  most  tasteful  style 
of  modern  architecture.  This  was  the  former  residence  of  the  late 
Col.  Nathaniel  Burwell,  a  gentleman  of  great  wealth.  The  build- 
ing stands  on  a  beautiful  eminence,  and  command  a  delightful  view 
of  the  Blue  Ridge  and  the  adjacent  neighborhood.  The  water  is 
conveyed  by  force  pumps  from  a  fine  spring  to  the  dwelling  house, 
yards  and  stable,  at  a  distance  of  about  three  hundred  j^ards.  This 
fine  farm  may  with  truth  be  said  to  be  among  the  most  elegantly  im- 
proved estates  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge. 

Maj.  Seth  Mason  has  lately  built  a  spacious  stone  dwelling, 
stone  barn  and  stable,  on  the  waters  of  Crooked  Run,  in  the  Coun- 
ty of  Frederick.  The  buildings  are  erected  on  a  beautiful  eminence, 
and  command  a  fine  view  of  the  Blue  Ridge  a  vast  distance.  From 
the  Major's  yard  about  one  hundred  farms  are  to  be  seen  in  full  re- 
lief on  the  west  side  of  the  mountain. 

Capt.  Phenias  Bowen  has  lately  erected  a  stone  dwelling,  three 
stores  high,  near  the  Opequon,  in  Clarke  county.  The  writer  never 
obtained  whe  exact  dimensions  of  this  building  ;  but  it  is  very  large, 
and  covered  with  tin.    It  is  not  finished. 

The  late  Maj.  Isaac  Hite,  on  his  fine  large  farm,  about  thejxar 
1792,  built  a  stone  dwelling,  near  the  great  highwaj-from  Winches- 
ter to  Staunton  ;  a  most  spacious  and  elegant  building  west  of  the 
Blue  Ridge.  In  point  of  taste,  and  beaut}'  of  sj-mmetry,  it  is  cer- 
tainly not  exceeded  by  any  country  building  the  author  has  ever 
seen.    It  still  stands  to  be  admired  by  every  beholder. 

In  the  County  of  Shenandoah,  the  late  Messrs.  Isaac  Bowman, 
Joseph  Stover  and  Anthony  Spengler,  severally  built  large  brick 
dwellings,  but  a  short  distance  from  Strasburg,  each  on  a  fine  large 
farm.  It  is  hardly  deemed  necessary  for  the  author  to  proceed  w^ith 
.  a  further  detail  of  particular  dvv'elling  houses.  It  would  require  a 
large  volume  to  contain  an  account  of  all  the  fine  dwellings  in  our  val- 

47 


1 


370 


APPENDIX. 


ley.  It  is  presumed  that  a  sufficient  number  has  been  described  to 
enable  the  reader  to  from  an  estimate  of  the  vast  improvement  of 
our  country  Vv'ithin  the  last  forty  years.  It  is  sufficient  to  say  that 
many  counties  in  the  valley  are  equally  well  improved. 

The  great  number  of  first  rate  merchant  mills  and  factories  de- 
serve some  particular  notice,  but  it  would  swell  this  publication  far 
be3'ond  all  reasonable  limits  to  attempt  a  detail.  The  author  will 
therefore  content  himself,  and  he  hopes  the  reader  will  be  content  to 
have  a  brief  description  of  Mr.  Valentine  Rhode's  mill  on  Cedar 
Creek,  the  dividing  line  been  Frederick  and  Shenandoah  counties. 
The  author  is  induced  to  give  a  passing  notice  to  the  building  from 
the  extraordinary  and  unparalleled  labor  performed  by  Rhodes,  with 
the  assistance  of  one  of  his  sons,  a  youth  of  about  twelve  or  fourteen 
years  of  age,  in  its  construction  and  erection.  Mr.  Rhodes  informed 
the  author,  that  when  he  had  purchased  and  paid  for  the  site,  in- 
cluding a  small  tract  of  land,  for  which  he  paid  in  advance,  he  had 
no  more  than  ten  dollars  left.  Mr.  Rhodes  is  an  ingenious  me- 
chanic and  first  rate  mill-wright.  He  determined,  however,  on 
building  his  mill  ;  to  enable  himself  to  go  on  with  it,  that  he  would 
undertake  every  job  at  his  trade  that  he  could  engage,  and  if  he 
earned  eighty  or  one  hundred  dollars,  he  would  proceed  with  his 
own  building  until  his  money  gave  out  ;  he  would  then  engage  in 
work  as  opportunity  afforded  until  he  could  gather  one  or  two  hun- 
dred dollars  more,  and  so  proceeded  on,  until  he  got  his  mill  to  run- 
ning. It  was  six  years  from  the  time  he  commenced  until  he  got  it 
to  grinding. 

But  the  most  extraordinary,  and  the  writer  may  truly  say,  won- 
derful circumstance  attending  this  building,  is  the  immense  weight 
of  stone  and  timbers  used  in  its  construction.  The  first  story  is  built 
of  stone  of  enormous  size  and  weight,  several  of  which  are  seven  or 
eight  feet  long  and  fifteen  or  eighteen  inches  thick,  doubtless  weigh- 
ing several  tons  each,  all  of  which  Mr.  Rhodes  worked  into  the 
walls  w^ith  his  own  personal  labor.  The  only  machine  he  used  was 
the  mill  screw.  The  wall  on  the  west  side  is  at  least  five  feet  thick, 
and  no  part  less  than  three.  The  first  part  of  the  mill-house  was 
twenty-eight  feet  square,  or  perhaps  thirty,  to  which  he  added  an- 
other building  fifty  feet  in  length  and  thirty  in  width,  stretching 
across  the  entire  stream,  excepting  a  small  arm  of  the  water-course 
forming  a  small  island,  on  which  the  first  building  is  erected.  The 
south  end  of  the  building  juts  against  a  solid  perpendicular  limestone 
rock  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet  high,  which  form  one  of  the  walls  ; 
nature  has  formed  niches  in  this,  which  receive  the  ends  of  timbers 
fifty  feet  long  and  from  ten  to  twelve  inches  square,  which  Mr. 
Rhodes  raised  and  put  into  place  with  the  aid  of  his  son  and  mill- 
screw,  one  end  resting  on  the  wall  of  the  first  building  and  the  other 
inserted  in  the  natural  niches  in  the  stone  wall.  These  powerful 
timbers  are  elevated  about  ten  feet  above  the  waters.  He  receives 
his  customers'  grain,  at  each  end  of  his  mill ;  so  that  it  may  be  said 


APPENDIX. 


371 


it  stands  in  the  two  counties.  It  is  doubtful  whether  a  similar  in- 
stance of  extraordinary  exertion,  enterprise  and  successful  persever- 
ance can  be  found  in  our  country. 

Mr.  Rhodes  certainly  deser\^es  a  premium  for  his  wonderful 
diligence  and  successful  enterprise  and  perseverance  in  the  construc- 
tion of  this  extraordinary  building.  There  have  been  several  floods 
in  the  Creek  since  the  mill  was  erected  ;  but  the  immense  strength 
of  the  dam  and  walls  has  heretofore  resisted  the  force  of  the  waters, 
and  the  mill  sustained  no  injury. 

CHURCHES. 

The  Episcopal  society  have  within  a  few  years  past  erected 
several  beautiful  houses  of  worship ;  one  at  Berryville,  one  at  Mill- 
wood, one  in  Winchester,  (the  latter  a  truly  splendid  building,  with 
first-rate  organ),  and  another  at  Middletown,  which  is  also  a  beauti- 
ful and  chaste  structure,  and  is  truly  creditable  to  the  society.  The 
writer  heard  a  minister  of  the  gospel  express  the  opinion,  that  it 
presented  to  the  eye  precisely  what  a  church  edifice  ought  to  ex- 
hibit, i.  e.,  a  ray  of  truth.  The  Roman  Catholic  Society  have 
erected  several  chapels  in  several  places.  They  have  built  a  superb 
edifice  at  Harper's  Ferry,  with  a  beautiful  pulpit,  with  the  image  of 
the  Virgin  Mary  with  the  infant  Jesus  in  her  lap. 

harper's  ferry. 

It  is  scarcely  necessarj^  to  inform  the  reader'that  this  is  the  lo- 
cation of  the  United  States  armory,  and  in  the  several  shops  are 
generally  employed  about  three  hundred  first-rate  mechanics,  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  arms  for  the  purpose  of  war.  There 
are  annually  made  about  six  or  seven  thousand  muskets,  two  or 
three  thousand  rifles,  besides  an  immense  number  of  swords,  pistols, 
and  other  side  arms.  The  government  employs  at  this  establishment 
a  superintendent-general,  a  paymaster  and  a  number  of  clerks.  The 
quantity  of  iron,  steel,  brass  and  other  materials  annually  wrought 
up,  is  immense.  A  vast  number  of  strangers  annually  visit  this 
place  to  gratify  their  curiosity  in  seeing  and  inspecting  the  public 
works  and  great  mechanical  operations,  so  extensively  carried 
on.  The  machinery  of  the  musket  factory  is  wrought  by  the  waters 
of  the  Potomac,  and  that  of  the  rifle  factory  by  the  waters  of  the 
Shenandoah. 

This  site  for  the  public  works  it  is  said  was  first  marked  out 
or  recommended  by  the  immortal  Washington,  and  is  certainly  evi- 
dence of  his  superior  skill  and  judgment  in  all  military  matters. 

A  railroad  from  Winchester  to  Harper's  Ferry  has  l^een  lately 
constructed,  which  has  rendered  Winchester  a  place  of  deposit  for 
the  vast  products  of  our  valley,  but  little  inferior  to  some  of  our  sea- 


372 


APPENDIX. 


port  towns.  A  turnpike  road  from  Winchester  to  Parkensburg,  on 
the  Ohio  River,  a  distance  of  about  two  hundred  and  eighty  miles, 
has  lately  been  finished ;  and  another  McAdamized  turnpike  road 
from  Winchester  to  Staunton,  has  just  been  put  into  operation,  and 
it  is  almost  inconceivable  what  vast  quantities  of  produce,  now  find 
a  ready  way  to  Baltimore  from  the  increased  facilities  of  our  im- 
proved roads  to  that  market. 

An  improved  road  from  Staunton  across  the  Alleghany  Moun- 
tains, is  now  going  on  to  Parkersburg,  which  will  still  add  great 
facilities  to  valley  trade  to  greatly  enchance  the  value  of  real  estate  in 
Western  Virginia.  There  is  also  a  turnpike  from  Harrisonburg  by 
way  of  the  Warm  Springs,  Hot  Springs  and  White  Sulphur,  across 
the  Alleghany  and  Whyandotte,  by  way  of  Kanawha.  These  sev- 
eral turnpikes  are  passable  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  and  greatly  ex- 
pedited the  passenger's  journey  from  east  to  west.  These  several 
turnpikes  have  been  made  at  vast  expense  to  the  State  and  Stock- 
holders, notwithstanding  which,  improvements  are  still  going  on. 
A  few  years  more  and  Western  Virginia  will  vie  with  our  northern 
and  sister  States  with  her  vast  improvements.  Our  valley  is  mak- 
ing great  improvement  and  very  great  improvements  of  every  agri- 
cultural pursuit.  Copying  after  our  great  and  good  countryman, 
Washington,  immense  improvements  have  already  been  made,  and 
are  still  making,  in  the  rearing  of  fine  animals  of  every  variety. 
Stage  coaches  travel  all  our  turnpike  roads,  drawn  by  the  most  splen- 
did horses  ;  and  most  of  our  substantial  farmers  rare  the  finest  cattle, 
sheep  and  hogs,  and  are  greatly  improving  the  fertility  of  their  lands. 
Our  valley  furnishes  the  several  markets  with  vast  quantities  of  su- 
perior beef,  pork,  mutton,  butter  and  the  finest  of  breadstuffs.  The 
quantities  of  oats  annually  raised  for  market  are  incalculable.  Im- 
mense crops  of  the  finest  timothy,  clover,  and  orchard  grass  hay,  and 
corn  fodder  are  annually  consumed  by  our  farmer's  stock  ;  and  not- 
withstanding the  vast  quantities  raised,  once  in  awhile  there  are  sea- 
sons of  great  scarcity  of  provender  for  sustaining  the  vast  stock  of 
animals  kept  on  hand. 

Our  winters  are  frequently  of  great  length  and  extremely 
severe.  The  author  will  here  notice  one  winter  which  was  re- 
markable for  its  long  and  excessive  severity.  When  a  youth, 
he  frequently  met  with  individuals  who  well  recollected  the  hard 
winter  in  the  year  of  1740.  It  was  said  that  that  remarkable 
winter  produced  the  greatest  depth  of  snow  ever  known  in  our 
climate.  The  snow  fell  to  such  an  immense  depth  as  to  smother 
vast  numbers  of  horned  cattle,  sheep,  hogs,  deer,  and  many  other 
wild  animals. 

The  author  believes  that  it  will  not  be  uninteresting  to  the 
reader  to  have  a  brief  description  of  several  remarkable  works  of 
nature  in  our  valle}^  together  with  a  notice  of  some  elegant  build- 
ings and  improvements  on  the  farms  of  ^private  individuals.  He 
will  begin  with 


APPENDIX. 


375 


JEFFERSON  COUNTY, 

Washington's  Masonic  Cave. — About  two  and-a-half  miles 
southeast  of  Cliarlestown  in  this  county  is  to  be  seen  in  this  cavern. 
Tradition  informs  us  that  Gen.  Washington  and  a  number  of  other 
gentlemen  formed  themselves  into  a  Masonic  Society  and  held  their 
lodges  in  this  cavern.  The  writer  saw  and  partially  explored  it.  It 
is  not  an  extensive  cavern,  and  is  more  remarkable  from  the  fact  of 
its  having  been  used  as  a  lodge  room  by  Washington  and  members. 
It  however  has  several  different  departments.  The  author  was  not 
able  to  get  into  the  lodge  room.  The  entrance  to  which  is  quite 
low  and  narrow.  The  proprietor,  Mr.  Clark,  informed  the  author 
that  Washington's  name,  with  the  names  of  several  others  of  the 
lodge,  is  inscribed  in  the  face  of  the  rocks  in  the  lodge  room.  A  rock 
of  ver}^  hard  stone,  which  lies  near  a  very  fine  lime  spring  conveni- 
ent to  the  cave,  has  several  inscriptions  on  it.  The  letters  are  the 
plain  Roman  character  ;  but  the  author  could  not  explain  the  mean- 
ing.   They  are  probably  masonic  enigmas. 

Having  introduced  the  name  Washington,"  through  a  digres- 
sion from  the  general  subject,  it  will  be  well  enough  to  notice  sever- 
al important  anecdotes  in  the  histor}'  of  that  great,  heaven  protected 
man,  w^hich  the  writer  has  heard  from  respectable  authority. 

The  late  Maj.  Lawrence  Lewis,  a  favorite  nephew  of  Washing- 
ton's, and  who  resided  with  him  at  "  Mount  Vernon,"  for  several 
years,  related  the  following  remarkable  anecdote  of  his  uncle.  In 
the  battle  fought  between  Braddock  and  the  Indians,  it  is  well 
known.  Washington  acted  as  one  of  Braddock's  aids.  After  the 
battle,  Daniel  Craig,  then  of  Winchester,  but  afterwards  settled  in 
Alexandria,  became  acquainted  with  Redhawk,  a  distinguished 
young  Indian  warror.  In  a  conversation  with  the  Doct.,  Redhawk 
inquired  what  young  officer  (who  was  mounted  on  a  fine  young 
horse)  it  was,  who  rode  with  great  rapidity  from  post  to  post,  dur- 
ing the  action.  The  Doct.  replied  Col.  Washington.  Redhawk 
immediately  stated,  I  fired  eleven  deliberate  shots  at  that  man,  but 
could  not  touch  him.  I  gave  over  any  further  attempt,  believing  he 
was  protected  by  the  great  Spirit,  and  could  not  be  killed  by  a  bul- 
let." Redhawk  further  added,  that  is  gun  was  never  known  to  miss 
its  aim  before. 

We  have  another  tradition  in  this  neighborhood  in  relation  to 
this  great  man.  It  is  stated  that  when  he  was  retreating  before  the 
British  army  in  New  Jersey,  he  at  once  expressed  to  some  of  his 
officers  his  determination,  if  he  was  still  pursued,  and  unable  to  make 
a  stand,  to  continue  his  retreat  until  he  reached  Powell's  Fort, 
which  he  would  fortify  and  defy  all  their  forces.  *    This  tradition 

*  Powell's  Fort  is  in  facta  natural  fortress.  The  mountains  on  each  side 
are  of  immense  hight,  and  covered  with  loose  stone  ;  at  the  entrance,  they 
come  so  close  together  that  a  few  hundred  men  placed  on  the  heights  could 
destroy  ten  times  their  number,  by  hurling  stone  down  on  the  enemy.  If 


374 


APPENDIX. 


was  communicated  to  the  author  by  a  highly  respectable  gentleman 
of  this  vicinity. 

There  was  another  tradition  related  to  the  author  b}'  an  old  lady, 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Mason,  on  Roanoke  River,  of  great  respectability. 
She  stated  the  following  fact :  Several  old  Indian  chiefs  had  offered 
considerable  premiums  to  an}'  warrior  or  set  of  warriors,  who  would 
bring  out  Washington's  scalp.  Seven  Indians  who  were  living  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Roanoke,  got  to  hear  that  Washington  was  on 
his  way  out  to  inspect  the  Fort  ver>'  near  the  Roanoke  River.  There 
were  two  roads  leading  to  the  Fort ;  one  across  the  point  of  the 
mountain,  and  the  other  on  level  land.  The  one  across  the  moun- 
tain was  the  shorter  wa}' ;  the  other  on  the  level  land  the  better. 
The  seven  Indians  placed  themselves  in  ambush  close  to  the  side  of 
level  road,  and  lay  concealed  two  days  and  nights  ;  but  Washington 
did  not  pass.  The}'  grew  impatient,  and  their  chief,  the  third  day, 
stated  that  he  would  go  to  the  other  road  and  ascertain  whether 
Washington  had  taken  that  route  to  the  Fort,  the  two  roads  being 
only  one  mile  apart.  He  gave  his  men  positive  orders  not  to  fire  at 
any  person  that  might  pass  in  his  absence.  While  he  was  gone, 
Col.  Washington,  Col.  Lewis  and  Col.  Preston,  all  three  passed  close 
by  the  enemy  without  being  molested. 

Another  tradition  informs  us  that  Lord  Fairfax  appointed  Wash- 
ington one  of  his  surveyors.  He  boarded  with  Capt.  Charles  Smith, 
within  half  a  mile  of  Battletown.  He  kept  his  office  in  an  upper 
room  in  the  spring  house.  This  small  log  building  is  on  the  farm 
owned  by  John  B.  Taylor,  Esq.,  the  only  son  of  the  late  Col.  Grif- 
fin Taylor,  now  in  Clarke  count}'. 

THE  INDIAN  CHURCH. 

This  is  said  to  be  a  most  grand  work  of  nature.  It  is  a  spaci- 
ous and  beautiful  cavern,  in  a  high  rock,  about  four  miles  west  of 
VVatkins'  Ferry,  on  the  Virginia  side  of  the  Cohongoruton  (Poto- 
mac). It  is  a  circular  dome  of  considerable  height,  with  a  most  ex- 
traordinary spiral  opening  in  the  arch,  resembling  the  steeple  of  a 
church.  Seats  are  formed  all  around  the  interior  ;  the  inlet  is  by  a 
large  door.  Tradition  informs  us  that  the  Indians,  w-hen  in  posses- 
sion of  the  country,  used  to  assemble  in  considerable  numbers  in 
this  place.  For  what  particular  object  is  not  known  ;  but  it  is 
probable  they  used  it  as  a  place  of  worship,  or  for  holding  their 
councils. 

PROSPECT  ROCK. 

This  splendid  work  of  nature  is  in  the  county  of  Morgan,  about 

the  enemy  had  attempted  by  a  counter  route  to  enter  the  Fort,  a  few  hun- 
dred active  and  brave  ridemen,  from  the  mountainous  character  of  the  coun- 
try, conld  cut  to  pieces  an  army  of  almost  any  force. 


APPENDIX. 


three  miles  S.  W.  of  Bath,  immediately  on  the  bank  of  Capon  River. 
It  is  certainly  not  less  than  one  thousand  feet  perpendicular  height. 
Capon  River  viewed  from  this  immense  height  presents  to  the  eye  a 
most  curious  and  interesting  sight.  The  River  running  to  consider- 
able distance  to  the  west,  makes  a  gradual  turn  around  a  point  of 
level  land,  thence  returning  an  easterly  course  to  the  base  of  the 
mountain,  enclosing  some  two  or  tnree  hundred  acres  of  fine,  fertile, 
alluvial  land,  constituting  a  most  valuable  farm.  The  River  viewed 
from  this  rock  appears  to  the  eye  not  to  exceed  fifteen  or  twenty 
feet  in  width,  and  forms,  as  it  were,  the  shape  of  a  horse  shoe.  It 
is  at  this  place,  not  less  than  fift}^  or  sixty  yards  in  width.  The 
two  points  of  the  water  are  but  a  few  poles  apart  at  the  base  of  the 
mountain.  There  is  an  extensive  view  of  the  valley  up  the  River  ; 
some  say  fifteen  miles.  The  top  of  the  Alleghany  mountain  can  be 
distinctly  seen  from  it. 

NEW  CREEK  GAP. 

This  is  seen  in  the  County  of  Hardy,  about  twent}^  miles  S.  W. 
of  Romney,  and  is  too,  a  most  tremendous  work  of  nature.  The 
author  viewed  this  place  with  considerable  awe  and  tripidation. 
The  passage  is  quite  narrow,  between  two  mountains  of  stupendous 
height,  probably  from  fifteen  hundred  to  two  thousand  feet  high. 
The  points  of  the  mountains  are  covered  with  numerous  rocks,  and 
appears  to  be  hanging  over  the  travelers  head.  Through  this  pas- 
sage is  a  fine,  lively  stream  of  water,  which,  after  leaving  the  moun- 
tian,  forms  Patterson's  Creek.  At  the  w^est  side  of  the  mountain 
there  are  two  streams,  one  from  the  south  and  the  other  from  the 
north,  which  meet  at  the  gap  and  unite  their  waters,  and  run  through 
the  gap  directly  an  east  course.  About  midwa}^  the  gap  is  seen 
what  is  called  the  "spouting  spring."  This  spring,  it  is  said,  is 
formed  by  a  stream  of  water  w^hich  runs  to  the  northern  base  of  the 
mountain,  and  has  formed  a  subterraneous  passway  under  the 
mountain,  and  bursts  out  in  a  large  spring  in  the  gap.  Near  the 
eastern  termination  of  the  gap,  nature  has  formed  a  natural  dam  of 
solid  rock,  quite  across  the  cavity,  twentj'-five  or  thirty  feet  high. 
By  the  aid  of  this  dam,  Messrs.  Harness  &  Turley  conve}^  the  water 
to  their  iron  works  on  Patterson's  Creek. 

A  LARGE  CAVE  IN  BERKELEY  COUNTY. 

Near  the  mouth  of  the  Opequon,  in  the  County  of  Berkelev^ 

exists  a  large  cave.    In  the  year  1813,  a  man  named  ,  called 

in  the  evening  at  old  Mrs.  Furman's,  staid  till  next  morning,  and  after 
breakfast,  told  the  lady  he  would  gojintothe  cave  andjexamine  it,  in 
order  to  ascertain  whether  he  could  or  not  obtain  saltpetre  clay,  for 
the  making  of  powder.  The  old  lady  furnished  him  with  candles, 
and  he  left  her  house  alone,  promising  to  return  in  the  evening.  He 


376 


APPENDIX. 


entered  the  cave,  and  was  not  seen  or  heard  of  that  day.  The 
second  day  passed  over,  and  no  tidings  was  heard  of  him.  The  old 
lady  grew  uneasy,  apprehended  he  had  lost  himself  in  the  cave,  and 
would  perhaps  perish.  The  third  day  his  absence  continued,  and 
the  old  lady  proposed  to  two  of  her  grown  sons  and  another 
young  man  who  happened  to  be  at  her  house,  to  go  in  search  of  him. 
They  at  first  objected,  suggesting  it  was  probable  he  had  gone  down 
the  Potomac  in  some  of  the  trading  boats  to  Georgetown.  She  de- 
clared if  they  would  not  go,  she  would  go  herself  and  make  the 
search.  The  young  men  then  agreed  to  go,  furnished  them.selves 
with  sufficient  lights,  and  forthwith  proceeded  to  make  search.  They 
had  not  proceeded  far  before  they  found  the  poor  fellow's  hat,  which 
satisfied  them  that  he  was  in  the  cave.  They  continued  the  search 
and  at  length  found  him  in  a  most  perilous  and  distressing  condi- 
tion. He  stated  to  them,  that  he  had  not  proceeded  far  into  the 
cave  before  his  candle,  by  accident,  became  extinguished,  and  he 
was  left  in  more  than  '*  Egyptian  darkness."  The  second  day  he 
became  distressed  with  thirst,  but  could  fine  no  water.  He  con- 
tinued scrambling  in  the  cave,  in  the  hope  of  getting  out,  but  instead 
of  finding  the  entrance,  got  farther  from  it.  At  length  he  heard  the 
dropping  of  water,  and  groping  his  way,  he  found  the  water  was 
dropping  into  a  deep  cavern.  He  contrived  to  get  into  the  cavity, 
and  after  reaching  the  bottom,  the  only  chance  he  had  to  get  the 
water  into  his  mouth,  was  by  laying  himself  down  on  his  back,  and 
letting  the  water  drop  into  it.  But  after  his  thirst  was  assuaged, 
he  could  not  get  out  of  the  sink,  and  he  had  given  out  all  hope  of 
relief,  and  reconciled  himself  to  his  fate,  expecting  to  die  in  a  very 
little  time. 

The  young  men,  in  searching  for  him,  frequently  called  aloud  ; 
he  could  hear  them,  but  was  so  exhausted  and  weakened,  that  he 
could  not  make  himself  heard  by  them  until  they  approached  very 
near  his  place  of  seclusion.  They  succeded  in  raising  him  out  of  his 
confinement  ;  he  soon  recovered  his  strength,  and  lived  some  fifteen 
or  eighteen  years  after  this  perilous  experiment. 

There  is  an  amusing  tradition  related  in  connection  with  this 
cavern.  An  old  German,  by  the  name  of  Bidinger,  had  ascertained 
that  by  building  a  fire  in  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  the  smoke  would 
ascend  and  pass  out  at  the  small  aperature  in  the  rocks  on  the  top 
of  the  hill,  about  three  hundred  yards  from  the  entrance.  This 
shrewd  old  man  persuaded  several  young  men  that  he  could  raise  oid 
Nick  out  of  the  cave,  and  invited  them  in  the  morning  to  go  with 
him,  and  see  his  experiment.  He  directed  a  negro  man  to  go  to  the 
mouth  of  the  cave  and  raise  a  large  pine  fire.  The  old  gentleman 
had  ascertained  about  what  time  it  would  take  for  the  sm.oke  to 
show  at  the  top  of  the  hill ;  they  assembled  near  the  aperature,  and 
he  engaged  in  many  incantations  and  juglings  whilst  watching  for 
the  smoke  to  appear.  The  young  men  waited  with  trepidation  and 
fear.    When  the  smoke  burst  out,  the  old  man  exclaimed,  * '  See, 


APPENDIX.  377 

there  he  comes  !  See  his  smoke  !  "  It  was  enough  for  the  young 
men  ;  they  saw  the  devil's  smoke,  and  precipitately  took  to  flight, 
leaving  the  old  gentleman  to  make  the  best  terms  he  could  with  his 
Satanic  majesty. 

There  is  a  most  extraordinary  cave  a  short  distance  from  Shep- 
herdstown.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Hill  informed  the  author,  that  he  once 
explored  this  cavern  about  one  mile  ;  it  passes  under  the  Potomac 
River,  and  reaching  into  the  State  of  Maryland,  contains  a  great 
variety  of  stalactite  formations  and  beautiful  curiosities. 

house;  cave. 

This  cave  is  on  Apple  Ridge,  in  the  County  of  .    It  is 

remarkable  for  its  vast  depth  and  has  a  pretty  good  room  near  its 
entrance.  It  is  said  this  cave  is  not  less  than  six  hundred  feet  deep. 
At  its  termination  a  most  delightful  stream  of  cold  water  runs  across 
its  bottom.  The  author,  several  years  ago,  visited  this  place,  and 
partially  explored  it ;  descending  about  one  hundred  feet  into  it. 
Two  j^oung  men  descended  about  one  hundred  feet  below  where  the 
author  stopped. 

In  the  County  of  Frederick  exists  a  cave,  on  the  land  now 
owned  by  Dr.  Walker  M.  Hite,  near  the  waters  of  Cedar  Creek.  It 
is  not  so  remarkable  for  its  size  as  for  its  production  of  natural  curi- 
osities. Several  years  ago  the  author  explored  this  cavern,  but  had 
abundant  cause  to  regret  his  undertaking.  He  became  so  exces- 
sively fatigued  that  it  was  with  great  difhculty  he  was  enabled  to 
get  out.  He  was  reminded  of  an  anecdote  of  a  Dutch  woman  :  Two 
men  in  the  County  of  Shenandoah  had  missed  their  way  in  the  night 
and  got  into  the  enclosure  of  a  farmer,  found  the  house,  and  asked 
the  way  out.  The  woman  of  the  house  replied,  So  you  come  in 
so  you  can  got  out  acain. ' '  There  are  several  other  caves  the  author 
has  heard  of,  but  has  not  seen.  There  is  one  on  the  land  of  George 
F.  Hupp,  Esq.,  the  former  residence  of  Mr.  Joseph  Stover,  near 
Strasburg.  This  is  said  to  be  pretty  extensive,  and  contains  much 
stalactite  matter. 

On  the  land  of  Mr.  Israel  Allen,  in  the  County  of  Shenandoah, 
exists  a  most  valuable  cavity,  forming  one  of  the  finest  dairies  the 
author  has  ever  seen.  At  the  early  settlement  of  the  country,  it 
was  discovered  that  a  small  cavity  in  the  rocks,  on  a  prett}^  high 
hill,  led  to  a  charming  stream  of  delightful  water.  But  it  was  at- 
tended with  some  difficulty  to  descend  and  ascend  the  aperature  to 
get  water.  Mr.  Allen  built  a  handsome  brick  dwelling  near  the 
mouth  of  the  cavity,  then  dug  a  well  so  as  to  strike  the  stream  of 
water.  At  the  depth  of  thirty-two  feet  belovx^  the  surface,  he  came 
upon  a  bed  of  black  alluvian  mud,  in  removing  which  he  found  a 
very  large  human  skeleton,  which  was  greatly  above  the  common 
size  of  the  human  frame.  Mr.  Allen  himself  was  rather  upwards  of 
six  feet  high ;  he  stated  that  he  placed  one  of  the  leg  bones  and 

48 


378 


APPENDIX. 


measured  it  by  his  own  leg.  It  was  between  two  and  three  inches 
longer  than  his  own  leg.  From  this  data,  is  is  probable  the  indivi- 
dual owner  of  this  skeleton  was  little  under,  if  not  full  eight  feet 
high.  Mr.  Allen  opened  and  improved  the  mouth  of  the  cavern, 
and  constructed  one  among  the  most  valuable  places  for  preserving 
milk,  butter  and  fresh  meats,  in  our  country.  The  aperature  from 
the  m.ilk  house  to  the  water  is  still  open,  and  in  warm  weather  dis- 
charges a  constant  current  of  cool  air  into  the  dairy,  and  keeps  it 
perfectly  cool.  In  winter  the  current  of  air  is  tipid  and  protects 
everything  in  the  dairy  from  freezing. 

HARRISON'S  CAVE. 

In  the  County  of  Rockingham,  on  the  land  of  Mr.   Har- 
rison, on  the  turnpike  road  leading  from  Winchester  to  Staunton,  is 
to  be  seen  a  most  beautiful  cave,  seven  miles  north  of  Harrisonburg, 
the  seat  of  justice  for  the  county.  Mr.  Harrison  has  improved  the 
entrance  in  the  cave  wnth  steps,  so  that  it  is  very  convenient  to 
enter  it.  This  cave,  wdiich  the  author  explored,  presents  several 
most  interesting  works  of  nature.  Near  the  center,  a  splendid 
column  of  about  twent3'-five  feet  high,  stalactite  formation,  stands 
as  if  designed  to  support  the  arch.  Pretty  near  this  column  is  set- 
ting the  bust  of  a  ver}^  large  old  woman,  covered  over  with  beauti- 
ful white  drapery,  in  numerous  folds  ;  the  walls  generally  covered 
vStalactite  formations,  several  of  which  have  a  strong  resemblance  to 
pipes  of  an  organ.  The  whole  length  does  not  exceed  three  hun- 
dred yards.  The  floor  is  pretty  level,  and  convenient  to  walk  upon. 
It  is  generally  above  twenty-five  feet  high  from  the  floor  to  the  arch, 
and  thirty-five  or  forty  wide.  The  author  heard  of  several  other 
caves  in  Rockingham,  but  did  not  visit  them. 


At  the  head  of  the  South  Branch  a  man  by  the  name  of  Ruth- 
ledge,  was  shot  through  the  body  by  an  Indian  ;  the  ball  penetrated 
the  left  breast  and  passed  out  within  an  inch  of  the  spine.  This 
man  recovered  and  lived  many  years  after.  There  were  two  female 
children,  daughters  of  John  Moore,  taken  by  the  Indians  and  grew 
up  with  them.  The  elder  had  two  children  by  a  white  trader  ;  the 
younger  became  the  wife  of  the  distinguished  war  chief  Blue  Jacket. 
She  left  an  Indian  son  with  his  father,  was  enceinte,  when  brought 
home,  and  brought  forth  a  daughter,  who  grev/  up  and  married  a 
man  by  the  name  of  John  Stuart.  Her  father.  Blue  Jacket,  secured 
her  a  tract  of  land  on  the  waters  of  I^ake  Erie,  to  which  Stuart  re- 
moved and  settled. 

Two  of  John  Cartmell's  daughters  w^ere  taken  by  the  Indians 
and  remained  with  them  several  years.  Their  brother  went  to  the 
Indian  country,  obtained  their  release  and  brought  them  home. 

James  Stuart  was  shot  while  crossing  the  Greenbrier  River, 


APPENDIX. 


379 


reached  the  opposite  shore,  and  died  immediately.  Several  others 
were  killed  the  same  summer,  whose  names  are  not  recollected. 

A  few  years  ago,  there  was  found  on  the  banks  of  Greenbrier 
River,  in  the  cavity  of  a  rock,  a  very  large  human  skeleton,  his  bow 
and  arrows,  m^at  and  tomahawk,  and  a  deerskin  was  deposited  wdth 
the  body  at  the  time  of  its  burial  ;  it  was  about  ten  feet  below  the 
surface. 

Human  skeletons  have  been  frequently  discovered  on  the  mar- 
gin of  the  water  courses.  About  thirty  years  ago,  Samuel  McDon- 
ald discovered  a  human  skull  on  the  bank  of  the  Cowpasture  River. 
It  was  remarkable  for  its  great  size  and  thickness,  had  a  visible 
mark  of  a  tomahawk  wound  on  it,  supposed  to  be  head  of  a  giant- 
like warrior.  A  walnut  tree  of  immense  size,  w^hich  grevv^  on  the 
bank  of  the  Cowpasture  River,  was  blown  down  in  a  violent  gale  of 
wind,  and  a  number  of  human  bones  were  discovered  in  the  cavity. 
The  author  was  informed  that  the  body  of  this  tree  was  not  less  than 
six  or  seven  feet  in  diameter.  If  so,  it  must  have  grown  over 
the  bodies  after  they  were  buried,  it  was  probably  several  hundred 
3-ears  old. 

But  to  return  to  this  digression.  Mrs.  Sarah  Hrskine,  in  her 
eighty-fourth  year,  was  first  married  to  John  Pauly,  they  w^ere  remov- 
ing to  Kentucky,  and  on  the  23d  of  September,  1779,  or  the  east 
branch  of  New  River,  they  were  attacked  by  a  party  of  five  Shaw- 
nee Indians  and  a  white  man  by  the  name  of  Morgan.  Mr.  Pauly 
was  killed,  and  his  little  child,  about  two  years  old,  had  its  brains 
dashed  out  against  a  tree  and  left  a  prey  to  wild  beasts.  This  ven- 
erable and  highly  intelligent  lady  was  once  w^hile  a  prisoner  threat- 
ened with  the  most  horrid  destruction.  An  old  chief  who  had  a 
favorite  son  killed  in  a  battle  in  Kentuck}^,  had  determined  to  re- 
venge his  son's  death  on  her  little  son,  who  w^as  born  a  few  months 
after  captivity,  and  two  young  prisoners,  Calway  and  Hoy.  The 
old  savage  monster  had  determined  to  enclose  them  all  in  Mrs. 
Erskine's  house  and  set  fire  to  it.  But  Col.  McKee,  the  British 
agent,  successfully  interposed  ;  he  called  on  Mrs.  Erskine  and  told 
her  not  to  be  alarmed  ;  that  if  he  could  not  restrain  the  violence 
of  the  old  monster,  he  would  immediately  convey  her  off  to  Detroit; 
but  from  the  friendly  interposition  of  Mr.  McKee,  a  majority  of  the 
Indians  became  opposed  to  the  violent  and  vindictive  revenge 
of  the  old  savage.  She  was  upwards  of  three  years  a  prisoner. 
Her  son,  young  Pauly,  she  brought  home  with  her ;  he  grew  up, 
went  west,  became  Secretary  to  the  great  Missouri  Fur  Company, 
and  was  killed  while  engaged  in  that  business.  Mr.  John  Higgins 
came  out  to  the  Shawnee  towns  and  redeemed  and  aided  her  in  get- 
ting home  to  her  friends. 

There  was  a  brother  of  Mr.  John  Pauly,  also  a  married  man, 
with  his  wife  and  one  child,  on  his  w^ay  to  Kentucky.  He  w^as 
killed  at  the  same  time,  his  infant  killed  and  his  wife  taken  prisoner. 
She  was  taken  to  the  Shawnee  town,  was  claimed  by  two  squaws, 


38o 


APPENDIX. 


and  taken  to  Detroit  and  sold,  from  whence  she  escaped,  but  never 
got  home  to  her  friends. 

Mrs.  Krskine  stated  to  the  author,  that  she  did  work  for  the 
men,  making  their  garments  ;  that  one  particular  occasion  a  warrior 
called  on  her  to  make  him  a  calico  shirt ;  the  fellow  informed  her 
that  he  had  lately  returned  from  a  trip  to  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Sweet  Springs,  in  quest  of  a  box  of  red  paint.  *  He  obtained  his 
paint,  and  returning,  he  passed  the  house  of  a  farmer,  who  left  his 
shot-pouch  and  powder  horn  hanging  to  the  corner  of  his  corn- 
house.  The  Indian  took  off  the  pouch  and  horn,  and  left  his  own 
Buffalo  horn,  with  a  little  powder,  in  place  of  it.  He  observed  to 
Mrs.  Erskine,  that  "  it  was  an  even  exchange,  no  robbery."  But  if 
the  owner  had  happened  to  discover  the  exchange  at  the  moment,  it 
is  highly  probable  the  fellow  might  have  paid  for  his  even  exchange 
with  his  life. 

Mrs.  Erskine  said  that  the  Shawnee  women,  from  the  number 
of  white  persons  taken  among:  them,  had  greatly  improved  in  their 
domestic  arrangements,  and  several  of  them  had  become  pretty  good 
housekeepers. 

Mrs.  Erskine  resided  in  Greenbrier  county,  near  Lewisburg. 
The  author  met  with  her  at  her  son's  in  Lewisburg,  who  is  a  highly 
respectable  merchant  of  that  place. 

Tradition  relates  that  the  Sweet  Springs  was  discovered  by  a 
man  who  was  passing  near  the  Spring.  A  colt,  which  was  follow- 
ing the  horse  he  was  riding,  was  bitten  b}^  a  rattlesnake,  when  it 
immediately  ran  into  the  spring,  where  it  continued  for  some  time, 
nor  could  it  be  induced  to  come  out  until  it  had  been  entirely  relieved 
from  the  pain  occasioned  by  the  wound,  f  The  man  examined  the 
water  and  found  that  it  possessed  some  valuable  medicinal  quality. 

A  man  by  the  name  of  Robert  Armstrong,  in  those  troublesome 
times  had  removed  his  family  across  the  mountain  to  a  place  of 
safety.  He  was  on  a  visit  to  his  family,  accompanied  by  a  young 
man.  Seven  Indians  approached  his  house,  and  were  in  the  yard 
before  discovered.  Armstrong  told  the  young  to  jump  into  bed  and 
threw  a  blanket  over  him.  The  Indians  pushed  into  the  house,  and 
Armstrong  went  to  the  bed,  raised  the  blanket,  and  asked  the  man 
it  he  was  better.  He  replied  in  the  negative.  An  Indian  immedi- 
ately asked,  "Man  very  sick."  "Yes,  small  pox,  very  bad." 
They  cried  "  Wough,"  and  ran  off,  crjdngas  they  ran,  "  Small  pox  ! 
Small  pox  !  "  as  far  as  they  could  be  heard.  It  is  said  the  Indians 
are  dreadfully  afraid  of  this  disorder.  Armstrong,  by  this  stratagem, 
saved  himself  and  property  from  being  touched  by  the  enemy. 

*  It  was  stated  to  the  author,  when  in  that  section  of  country,  that  there 
is  a  considerable  bank  of  beautiful  red  paint  in  Peter's  Mountain,  five  or  six 
miles  from  the  spring. 

•f-  Dr.  Lewis,  the  present  proprietor,  informed  the  author  that  he  had  had 
a  favorite  dog  bitten  by  a  rattlesnake  ;  he  immersed  him  in  the  spring,  and 
it  entirely  cured  him  of  the  bite. 


APPENDIX. 


381 


In  the  year  1774,  in  the  month  of  June,  there  were  four  white 
families  settled  on  the  head  waters  of  Greenbrier  and  apprehensive 
of  danger,  removed  their  families  into  the  settlement  where  they  were 
safe.  A  man  by  the  name  of  John  Johnson  came  in,  and  stated  he 
had  seen  fresh  signs  of  Indians.  The  late  Col.  John  Dickinson,  a 
brave  and  active  Indian  fighter,  raised  a  party  of  twenty-seven  men, 
and  marched  out ;  but  it  was  two  or  three  days  before  they  found 
any  traces  of  Indians.  They  went  to  Jacob  Riffle's  house,  found  the 
beds  totally  cut  open,  and  the  feathers  scattered  to  the  winds.  The 
Indians  had  kept  themselves  so  completely  concealed,  that  they  could 
not  be  discovered  ;  yet  they  contrived  to  kill  one  of  Dickinson's 
men,  named  Malone,  and  wounded  Robert  McClay.  Col.  Dickin- 
son was  himself  prett}^  severely  wounded  at  the  battle  of  the  Point, 
in  the  year  1774,  under  Col.  Lewis.  The  ball  penetrated  high  up 
his  shoulder  and  came  out  very  near  his  spine.  Yet  he  soon  re- 
covered, suffering  but  little  from  the  wound.  The  Indians,  after 
a  few  days  lurking  about,  and  discovering  Dickinson's  party  to  be 
too  strong  for  them,  fled.  It  is  said  there  were  only  three  Indians 
in  the  party. 

The  warrant  of  Mr.  Joseph  Maye's  land  was  issued  in  1743, 
surveyed  in  1746,  patent  or  grant  issued  in  1761.  Joseph  Maj'e, 
Esq. ,  at  about  twelve  }■  ears  of  age  was  taken  prisoner  b}-  a  part  of 
Indians  ;  but  was  rescued  by  his  friends  after  five  days  of  captivity, 
and  brought  safely  home.  This  venerable  and  intelligent  man  was 
w^ounded  at  the  battle  of  the  Point.  He  was  at  the  time  preparing 
to  shoot  the  Indian  that  wounded  him,  who  was  standing  behind  a 
tree  that  was  rather  small  to  protect  him.  It  had  a  crook  in  the 
body,  below  which  Mr.  Maye  attempted  to  fire  at  him,  for  which 
purpose  he  bent  his  right  knee  and  stooped  a  little  ;  but  the  fellow 
was  too  quick  for  him,  fired  at  him  and  struck  him  very  near  the 
cap  of  the  knee.  The  ball  ranged  down  the  bones  of  his  leg,  shiv- 
ering them  pretty  much.  He  w^as  not  able  to  walk  for  three  3'ears 
afterwards.  He,  however,  so  far  recovered  as  to  be  able  to  use  his 
leg  about  twenty  years  or  upwards  ;  but  it  frequently  would  inflame 
and  -break  out,  and  he  was  finall}-  compelled  to  have  it  amputated 
above  the  knee.  When  the  author  saw  this  highh^  respectable  old 
gentleman,  he  was  eighty-four  years  of  age,  and  appeared  to  enjoy 
fine  health. 

A  story  was  told  to  the  writer,  of  rather  singular  and  extraor- 
dinary character.  Seven  Indians  were  lurking  about  one  of  the 
Forts.  A  young  woman  had  walked  out,  perhaps  in  search  of  wild 
fruit.  The  seven  Indians  seized  her  and  took  her  off.  They  pro- 
ceeded a  few  miles,  and  halted  for  the  purpose  of  terrifying  and  tor- 
menting the  unfortunate  girl.  They  stripped  her,  tied  her  hands 
above  her  head  to  a  sapling,  and  threw  their  tomahawks  at  her,  try- 
ing how  near  they  could  pass  their  instruments  by  her  bod}/  without 
wounding  her.  A  bold  and  enterprising  hunter  happened  to  be 
within  hearing  of  her  screams,  and  ran  to  see  what  produced  the 


382 


APPENDIX. 


poor  girl's  terrors.  As  he  approaclied  he  discovered  the  scene,  and 
with  his  rifle  killed  one  of  the  part}^ ;  the  other  six  fied,  and  the 
hunter  ran  to  the  relief  of  the  unfortunate  suffer,  instantly  cut  the 
bandage  from  her  hands,  threw  his  hunting  shirt  around  her,  and 
directed  her  to  run  to  the  Fort,  and  he  instantly  reloaded  his  rifle 
and  followed  her.  The  remaining  Indians,  discovering  there  w-as 
but  one  man,  gave  chase.  The  hunter  discovering  this,  slackened 
his  pace,  and  as  they  approached  pretty  near  him,  brought  another 
down.  He  was  master  of  the  art  of  loading  as  he  ran.  The 
remaining  five  continued  the  chase  until  this  brave  and  skillful  marks- 
man brought  another  down.  The  others  continued  the  pursuit 
until  the  whole  number  was  killed.  The  author  can  not  vouch  for 
the  truth  of  this  story,  but  has  given  it  as  he  heard  it  related  by 
several  respectable  individuals  ;  the  reader  can  take  it  for  what  it 
is  worth. 

George  Kencade  was  killed,  and  his  wife  and  four  children 
taken  off.  An  old  Indian,  soon  after  her  arrival  at  the  village,  pro- 
posed to  marry  her,  but  she  promptly  refused  the  offer.  The  savage 
monster  threatened  to  burn  her.  A  Frenchman  told  her  if  she  would 
consent  to  marry  him,  he  would  take  her  off.  She  consented  to  his 
offer,  and  he  soon  took  her  to  Redstone,  and  married  her.  This 
Frenchman  kept  a  little  store  in  the  Indian  village.  Paul  I^eash 
was  the  name  of  this  Frenchman. 

There  were  a  number  of  people  killed  and  taken  prisoners  by 
the  same  Indians,  at  the  big  bend  of  Jackson's  River.  But  Mr. 
Byrd,  my  informant,  could  not  recollect  the  precise  number  or  name 
of  the  sufferers. 

There  is  an  Indian  grave  near  Man's  Mills,  on  Jackson  River, 
thirty  yards  or  more  in  diameter,  and  perfectly  round.  *  The  author 
will  here  remark,  that  in  all  his  excursions  through  that  country,  he 
never  saw  an  Indian  grave,  f  and  heard  of  but  two,  the  one  just 
spoken  of,  and  another  at  Peter's  Mountain.  This  is  said  to  be  in 
circular  form,  and  covered  entirel}''  with  stone. 

During  the  troublesome  times  with  the  Indians,  a  party  of  them 
attacked  the  dwelling  of  Maj.  Graham,  on  Greenbrier  River,  killed 
some  of  his  children  and  took  off  a  young  daughter.  She  remained  a 
prisoner  for  several  years,  and  grew  up  with  the  savages  ;  a  short 
interval  of  peace  took  place  with  the  tribes,  and  her  father  went  out 
to  the  Indian  country  and  found  his  daughter,  whom  he  had 
believed  was  entirely  lost  to  him,  and  brought  her  home.  She  soon 
manifested  great  uneasiness,  and  expressed  a  desire  to  return  to  the 
Indians. 

A  small  party  of  Indians  came  into  the  neighborhood  of  Muddy 
Creek,  and  killed  a  man  near  her  father's  residence,  and  as  soon  as 
she  heard  of  the  occurrence,  made  an  attempt  to  run  of  to  the  In- 

*  Now  entirely  plowed  down. 

f  There  is  a  pretty  considerable  mound  about  two  miles  south  of  Frank- 
fort, in  Pendleton  county,  noticed  in  the  first  edition  of  this  work. 


APPENDIX. 


383 


dians,  but  was  prevented  from  doing  so  by  the  family.  Slie  after  a 
while  became  better  reconciled  to  remain  with  her  connections,  and 
married  a  worth}^  man,  raised  a  respecta.ble  faniil}'  of  children,  and 
was  living  in  the  year  1836,  in  the  county  of  Monroe.  This  is  an- 
other among  the  many  instances  of  white  childern,  taken  while 
quite  young,  growing  up  with  the  savages,  and  becoming  so  much 
attached  to  the  manners  and  habits  of  the  people  in  a  state  of  nature, 
as  to  leave  them  Vvdtli  the  greatest  possible  reluctance. 

In  the  autumn  of  1797,  the  author  traveled  through  the  state  of 
Ohio.  At  Chiliicothe  he  saw  a  young  man  named  Williamson,  who 
was  on  his  way  to  his  residence  at  the  three  Islands  of  the  Ohio 
River  ;  he  was  returning  with  two  of  his  brothers,  one  fourteen,  the 
other  about  twelve  years  of  age,  who  had  been  taken  about  three 
years  before.  Pie  had  found  them  near  the  lakes,  with  different 
tribes,  about  sixty  miles  apart.  The  young  man  stated  that  it  was 
with  considerable  difficulty  he  could  prevail  on  the  little  fellows  to 
leave  the  Indians  ;  and  even  after  he  had  started  with  them,  they 
•  made  several  attempts  to  run  off  and  get  back  to  the  Indians.  He 
was  at  length  compelled  to  obtain  a  canoe  and  descend  the  Alleghany 
River  with  them,  and  by  this  means,  and  vigilant  watching,  he  pre- 
vented their  making  their  escape  from  him. 

It  is  remarkable,  that  those  children  should  have  so  soon  lost 
their  affection  for  their  parents  and  brothers  and  sister,  and  to  prefer 
remaining  with  their  savage  captors.  The  author  has  been  informed 
by  persons  who  have  been  prisoners,  tliat  natives  never  apply  the 
scourge  to  children,  but  treat  them  with  the  greatest  indulgence. 
It  is  probably  owing  to  this  cause  that  white  childern  become  so 
much  pleased  with  them. 

The  author  attempted  to  converse  with  the  bo3'-s,  but  immedi- 
ately discovered  that  the}^  had  acquired  all  that  coyness  and  diffi- 
dence so  commonly  manifested  by  the  native  Indians.  They  would 
scarcely  answer  a  question  ;  and  before  they  answered  3^es  or  no, 
they  would  look  at  their  elder  brother,  and  at  each  other,  and  pause 
before  either  would  reply  ;  and  that  reply  was  only  y  s  or  no. 

In  the  year  1774,  there  were  four  families,  Ash,  Bumgardner, 
Croft  and  Hupp,  who  settled  at  a  place  called  Tea  Garden  at  Ten 
Mile  Creek,  on  Monongalia  River.  They  had  entered  into  a  con- 
tract with  the  Indians  for  permission  to  occupy  a  certain  quanti- 
ty of  land,  and  the  privilege  of  hunting  on  the  lands,  for  which 
they  agreed  to  pay  a  small  annual  rent.  When  Dumnore's  war 
commenced,  a  messenger  was  sent  to  them,  warning  them  of  their 
danger,  and  advising  them  to  remove  immediately  into  the  Fort 
at  Redstone.  The  messenger  stated  to  them,  that  if  they  remained 
they  would  be  all  killed.  Several  Indians  were  present,  and  their 
chief  replied  to  the  bearer  of  the  message  :  ' '  Tell  your  king  he  is 
a  d — d  liar,  the  Indians  wih  not  kill  them."  And  the  people  re- 
mained at  their  residence  during  the  continuance  of  the  war,  w^ith- 
out  being  disturbed  b}^  the  enemy. 


384 


APPENDIX. 


REGURGITARY  SPRING. 

This  is  a  most  singular  and  curious  work  of  nature.  The 
writer  did  not  see  it,  but  it  was  described  by  several  intelligent  re- 
spectable gentlemen  who  had  repeatedly  examined  it.  On  the  sum- 
mit of  a  high  mountain,  in  the  Count}^  of  Hardy,  five  or  six  miles 
from  Petersburg,  a  village  on  the  main  Fork  of  the  South  Branch 
of  the  Wappatomaca,  this  spring  makes  its  appearance.  It  ebbs 
and  Hows  every  two  hours.  When  rising,  it  emits  a  gurling  noise, 
similar  to  the  gurgling  of  any  liquid  running  out  at  the  bung-hole 
of  a  hogshead,  runs  freely  two  hours,  and  then  ebbs  and  the  water 
entirely  disappears.  At  every  flow,  sand  and  small  pebbles  are 
forced  out  with  the  water. 


Samuel  McDonald  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  the  Point,  under 
Col.  lycwis.  He  belonged  to  the  company  commanded  by  Capt. 
Dickinson.  The  ball  passed  through  both  his  thighs,  but  neither  * 
was  broken.  He  recovered  from  his  wounds,  but  continued  a  little 
lame  as  long  as  he  lived.  Mrs.  Ellen  McDonald,  his  widow, 
(eighty-three  j^ears  of  age,  and  still  living),  informed  the  author 
that  she  once  had  two  sisters  taken  by  the  Indians,  one  ten  years 
of  age  and  the  other  seven.  They  were  prisoners  seven  j^ears,  lost 
their  mother  tongue,  and  spoke  the  Indian  language  perfectly.  Two 
of  Mr.  McDonald's  sisters  were  taken  by  the  Cherokees. 

In  the  year  1764,  the  Indians  killed,  at  the  house  of  James 
Clanahan,  Edward  Sampson  and  Joseph  Mayes.  They  killed  and 
took  prisoners  all  the  families,  except  three  individuals.  A  woman 
seventy  years  of  age  had  left  the  house,  but  returned  and  took 
a  small  trunk,  in  which  she  kept  her  caps  and  money,  and  carried 
it  off,  while  the  Indians  were  killing  a  number  of  persons  around 
her  ;  and  finally  made  her  escape.  There  were  but  two  other  per- 
sons who  escaped. 

The  Indians  then  passing  up  the  Cowpasture  River,  stopped  at 
the  house  of  William  Fitzgerald.  Thomas  Thompson  was  there  at 
the  time.  They  barricaded  the  door,  so  that  the  Indians  could  not 
force  it  open.  The  savages  immediately  set  fire  to  the  house,  and 
Fitzgerald  and  Thompson  were  burned  to  death.  A  little  girl  of 
Fitzgerald's  was  cruelly  burnt.  They  killed  its  mother  the  next  day, 
and  took  the  child  off.  It  was  rescued  by  the  whites  and  brought 
part  of  the  way  home  ;  but  died  at  Marlow's  Ford,  Greenbrier  River. 
Mrs.  Sampson  and  daughters  were  taken  oft  by  the  Indians,  and 
when  they  found  they  could  be  overtaken  by  the  whites,  a  young 
warrior  shot  Mrs.  Sampson  through  the  body.  She  was  found  in  a 
languishing  condition,  and  brought  part  of  the  way  home,  but  died 
on  the  way.    Her  daughters  were  never  more  heard  of. 

In  1779  a  man  by  the  name  of  McKeever,  was  killed  and  Thos. 
Grening  and  George  Smith  were  fired  at  by  the  party  who  killed 


APPENDIX. 


385 


McKeever,  but  made  their  escape.  Both  their  wives  and  children 
were  taken  oft  as  prisoners.  Mrs.  Smith  made  her  escape  from  the 
savages,  and  on  her  way  homeward  was  met  by  Col.  John  Hill, 
now  of  Pocahontas  count}^  and  conveyed  to  her  friends  in  North 
Carolina. 

JOHN  day's  fort,   now  PRICE'S  OLD  FORT. 
FORMERLY  KECKLEY'S  FORT  

About  1772  John  McNeil  settled  in  the  Little  Levels  ;  at  that 
period  there  were  very  few  settlers  in  that  neighborhood.  Mrs. 
Sarah  Brown,  the  mother  of  Col.  Brown  in  this  neighborhood,  at 
the  age  of  ninet3^-one  years,  was  able  to  walk  about  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  rode  by  herself  to  visit  some  of  her  children,  wdio  lived 
ten  or  fifteen  miles  off.  Col.  Brown  stated  to  the  author  that  a  sugar 
tree  of  immense  size,  at  least  six  feet  in  diameter,  stood  in  one  of  his 
fields,  and  that  it  yielded  him  at  least  fifty  pounds  of  sugar  3'early. 
The  Indians  did  no  mischief  after  the  war  of  1763,  until  they  yea.T 
1774.  There  was  some  Buffalo  and  Elk  to  be  seen  in  the  country  a^ 
this  period. 

William  Meeks,  his  wife,  six  children,  and  his  mother,  were 
taken  off  four  or  five  years  after  the  battle  of  the  Point.  Capt. 
Woods  of  the  present  County  of  Monroe,  raised  a  party  of  seventeen 
men,  pursued  the  enemy  and  after  several  days  march,  overtook 
them  late  in  the  evening.  The  Indians  had  halted  and  been  en- 
camped three  or  four  days.  Capt.  Woods  and  his  party  approached 
within  a  short  distance  of  them  without  being  discovered.  Early 
the  next  morning,  it  being  very  foggy,  the  whites  rushed  in  among 
the  enemy.  Capt.  Woods  and  the  Indian  Capt.  fired  at  each  other, 
the  muzzle  of  their  guns  almost  touching  ;  but  each  of  them  spring- 
ing to  one  side,  neither  shot  took  effect.  Woods  knocked  the  Indian 
down  with  his  gun,  and  pursued  the  flying  enemy.  The  fellow 
knocked  down  soon  recovered  and  ran  off. 

Not  one  of  the  Indians  v.-as  killed,  but  the  prisoners  were  all 
rescued,  and  returned  to  their  homes  with  the  plunder  all  retaken, 
and  the  Indians  losing  all  their  own  property. 

cook's  fort,  INDIAN  CREEK. 

In  the  year  1774,  about  the  time  of  the  attack  on  Donnally's 
Fort,  there  were  three  hundred  people  sheltered  in  the  Fortress.  It 
w^as  oblong,  and  covered  one  and-a-half  acres  of  ground.  A  Mrs. 
Bradsburn  was  killed. 

Shortly  before  Wm.  Meeks  was  taken.  Steel  Lafferty  was  killed 
at  the  mouth  of  Indian  Creek,  three  miles  off  from  the  Fort.  Meeks 
heard  the  report  of  his  death,  immediately  mounted  his  horse,  and 
rode  with  all  speed  to  his  house,  to  the  relief  of  two  women  ;  as  he 
approached  the  house,  he  called  to  them  to  open  the  door,  which  was 


49 


\ 


386  APPENDIX. 

immediately  done,  when  he  rushed  into  it,  sprang  to  a  port-hole, 
saw  two  Indians  running  across  a  small  field,  near  the  house,  fired 
at  them,  when  one  of  them  dropped  his  blanked  and  gun,  increased 
his  speed  and  got  off ;  but  it  was  believed  he  was  shot  through 
the  body  ;  he  never  could  be  found,  however. 

In  1 77 1,  Mr.  James  Ellison  removed  from  the  State  of  New 
Jersey,  with  his  father,  at  which  time  he  was  about  fifteen  years  of 
age.  On  the  igth  of  October,  1780,  a  party  of  seven  or  eight  In- 
dians attacked  him,  wounded  him  in  the  shoulder,  the  ball  passing 
under  his  shoulderblade  and  out  very  near  his  spine ;  he  was  tied 
and  taken  off  a  prisoner.  The  next  day,  when  they  had  traveled 
about  fifteen  miles  with  him,  while  passing  through  a  thicket  he 
suddenly  escaped  from  them,  and  was  pursued,  but  outran  them  and 
got  off.  This  old  and  intelligent  man,  was  afterwards  in  the  battle 
of  the  Point,  under  Col.  Eewis.  The  author  saw"  him  and  conversed 
with  him  ;  he  was  then  about  eighty  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Ellison  has  been  a  great  and  successful  hunter.  There 
were  but  very  few  buffalo  and  elk  remaining  in  the  country,  but 
abundance  of  bears,  deers,  panthers,  wolves,  wild  cats,  and  a  vast 
number  of  turkeys  and  other  small  game.  Mr.  Ellison  stated  that 
he  might  safely  affirm  that  he  had  killed  more  than  one  thousand 
deer,  three  or  four  hundred  bears,  a  great  many  panthers,  wolves, 
&c.  The  wild  game  was  the  chief  dependence  of  the  first  settlers, 
for  subsistence.  There  were  a  great  many  beavers,  otters,  and  other 
fured  animals  taken  by  hunters. 

Mr.  John  Eybrook,  born  in  Pennsylvania,  aged  seventy-three, 
was  too  young  to  recollect  when  his  father  moved  and  settled  on  New 
River,  at  the  mouth  of  Sinking  Creek,  this  was  in  1772,  now  living 
in  Giles  county. 

In  the  year  1774  the  Indians  commenced  their  outrages  in  this 
neighborhood.  The  first  act  of  murder  w^as  perpetrated  by  four  In- 
dians near  his  father's  house.  Mr.  Eybrook  was  then  about  ten  or 
eleven  years  old.  About  the  first  of  July,  my  informant  and  several 
of  his  brothers  and  sisters,  and  several  of  Mr.  Snydow's  children, 
w^ere  at  play  on  the  edge  of  the  River.  They  discovered  the  Indians 
approaching.  John  went  to  the  shore  and  ran  some  distance  along 
the  margin  of  the  water  ;  but  he  discovered  that  an  Indian  on  the 
bank  had  got  ahead  of  him.  The  bank  at  that  place  was  so  precipi- 
tous that  there  was  but  one  point  that  could  be  ascended.  The  In- 
dian stooped  to  fire  at  two  lads  swimming  the  river,  and  John  took 
this  opportunity  to  ascend  the  bank  by  a  narrow  channel,  w^orn  in 
it  by  the  feet  of  wild  animals,  when  they  used  it  as  a  passage  to  and 
from  the  water.  He  darted  by  the  Indian,  who  instantly  pursued 
him.  After  running  about  one  hundred  yards,  he  leaped  across  a 
gully  worn  by  a  small  stream  of  water  in  tne  bank  of  the  River.  It 
was  at  least  twelve  feet  wide.  At  this  place  the  Indian  halted,  but 
would  not  try  the  leap,  but  threw  a  buffald  tug  at  the  boy,  which 
he  felt  strike  his  head  and  back  ;  but  the  little  fellow  made  his  es- 


APPENDIX. 


387 


cape,  and  got  safely  to  the  Fort  at  his  father's  house.  Mr.  Lybrook 
stated  this  fact  to  the  author,  and  most  solemnl}^  declared  it  was  true. 
Three  of  the  Indians  entered  the  canoe,  and  killed  and  scalped  five 
of  the  children.  A  sister  of  my  informant,  a  girl  about  thirteen 
years  of  age,  had  the  presence  of  mind  to  turn  the  canoe,  which  she 
was  in,  with  the  other  childern,  stern  foremost,  while  the  Indians 
were  engaged  in  killing  and  scalping  their  victim.s,  and  jumped  out 
and  ran.  She  was  pursued  by  an  Indian  :  her  screams  attracted  the 
attention  of  a  remarkable  fierce  dog,  which  immediately  ran  with 
the  utmost  speed  to  her  relief.  The  Indian  had  got  so  near  her, 
that  he  extended  his  arm  to  seize  her,  but  the  dog  had  approached 
near  enough  to  save  her.  He  ran  so  close  to  her  that  he  threw  her 
down  ;  then  seized  the  Indian  by  one  of  his  thighs  just  above  his 
knee,  gave  a  violent  jerk,  and  threw  the  fellow  to  the  ground.  The 
girl  escaped  ;  the  dog  hung  on,  tearing  at  him  for  a  little  time  :  but 
letting  go  his  hold,  he  sprang  at  the  fellow's  throat.  The  Indian 
struck  him  a  violent  blow  with  a  war  club,  and  knocked  him  down. 
.  The  dog  then  ran  to  the  canoe  and  guarded  the  dead  children  until 
the  people  took  them  away  for  burial.  The  dog  refused  to  follow 
them,  immediately  ran  off,  and  raised  a  most  piteous  howl.  Some 
of  the  party  went  to  see  what  produced  the  distress  of  the  dog, 
and  found  a  little  boy  about  six  3^ears  old,  who  had  been  violently 
struck  on  the  head  with  a  war  club,  his  skull  severely  fractured,  and 
his  brains  oozing  out  and  his  head  scalped.  He  was  a  brother  to  my 
informant.  The  little  fellow  breathed  about  twenty-four  hours,  and 
then  expired. 

Mrs.  Margaret  Hall,  sixty-nine  years  of  age,  when  ten  years 
old,  with  a  younger  sister,  and  a  little  daughter  of  Richard  Esty, 
were  taken  by  a  party  of  Shawnee  Indians,  on  New  River.  Her 
mother,  three  sisters  and  brother,  were  killed  at  the  time,  and  the 
prisoners  were  taken  to  the  Shawnee  towns.  The  same  morning 
Philip  Kavanah  was  killed,  and  a  young  lad  fifteen  or  sixteen  years 
of  age  taken,  named  Francis  Denny.  Mrs.  Hall  was  eighteen  years 
with  thd  Indians,  and  never  returned  home  until  after  Gen.  Wayne 
defeated  them.  Mrs.  Hall  was  transferred  by  the  Shawnee  to  the 
Delaware  tribe.  She  was  adopted  by  the  Indian  chief  Koothumpun, 
and  her  sister  Elizabeth  in  the  family  of  Petasue,  commonly  called 
Snake.  The  Indians  had  a  few  cattle,  and  used  some  milk  and  but- 
ter. Their  bread  was  commonly  made  with  pounded  corn  meal. 
The  English,  however,  frequently  furnished  them  with  flour,  which 
they  usually  baked  in  the  ashes.  The  bread  ate  very  well  when 
fresh.  They  also  made  fritters  and  pancakes.  The  Shawnee  women 
were  far  better  house-keepers  than  the  Delawares.  The  Shawnees 
lived  better  and  more  plentifully  than  the  Delawares.  A  few  years 
before  Mrs.  Hall  returned  home,  a  young  Indian  made  love  to  her  and 
vehemently  urged  her  to  consent  to  marry  bim,  which  she  peremptor- 
ily refused.  He  threatened  her  life  if  she  would  not  consent.  He 
continued  his  visits  to  her,  and  her  foster  mother  urged  her  to  con- 


388  APPENDIX. 

sent  to  the  matcli.  The  young  squaws  frequently  congratulated  her 
on  her  fine  offer.  She  at  length,  by  continued  solicitations  of 
the  young  chief,  became  so  annoyed  that  she  determined  to  take 
flight  to  another  village,  seventy  miles  off,  to  which  her  foster  sister 
and  brother  had  removed.  Early  one  morning  she  secured  a  very 
fine  horse,  mounted  him,  and  purshed  off.  She  traveled  briskly, 
and  reached  her  destination  about  sunset ;  traveling  the  seventy 
miles  through  a  tractless  wilderness.  She  found  her  foster  sister, 
but  her  brother  was  out  on  a  hunting  excursion.  She  complained 
to  her  foster  sister  of  the  treatment  she  had  received,  who  replied, 
"  I  will  defend  you  with  my  life."  The  young  warrior  determined 
not  to  be  defeated  in  this  way,  without  another  effort  to  secure  her 
to  himself  or  take  her  life.  He  pursued  her  immediately,  and 
reached  the  village  to  which  she  had  fled,  the  next  day  in  the  after- 
noon. He  soon  found  where  she  was,  and  called  on  her  and  told 
her  if  she  did  not  immediately  consent  to  become  his  wife,  he  would 
kill  her.  Her  foster  sister  stood  by  her.  She  raised  her  hands  and 
protested  that  she  never  would.  He  made  a  lounge  at  her  with  a 
long  knife,  but  her  sister  threw  herself  between  them,  and  received  a 
slight  wound  in  the  side,  the  point  of  the  knife  striking  a  rib.  The 
girl  instantly  seized  the  knife,  and  wrenched  it  from  his  hand,  broke 
the  blade  and  threw  it  away.  They  quickly  commenced  a 
furious  fight,  while  she  sat  petrified,  as  it  were,  with  fear.  Her  sis- 
ter told  her  to  run  and  hide  herself,  exclaiming,  "He  will  kill  me 
and  then  kill  you."  She  then  ran  and  concealed  herself.  But  the 
young  woman  proved  too  stout  for  the  fellow,  gave  him  a  severe  drub- 
bing, and  drove  him  off.  Her  foster  brother  returned  in  about  a 
fortnight,  from  his  hunting  expedition.  She  complained  to  him. 
He  told  her  not  to  be  uneasy  ;  called  him  a  dog,  (the  worst  epithet 
they  could  apply  to  each  other) ,  and  said  that  if  he  ever  made  any 
further  attempts  upon  her,  he  would  immediately  kill  him. 
The  fellow,  however,  never,  never  annoyed  her  again.  He  was  some 
time  after  killed  in  Wayne's  battle  with  the  Indians.  Mrs.  Hall's 
residence  is  in  Giles  county,  about  four  miles  from  the  Grey  Sul- 
phur Spring. 

FIRE  HUNTING. 

Mr.  John  Lybrook  has  been  a  most  enterprising  and  successful 
hunter.  He  stated  to  the  author  that  he  had  probably  killed  three 
thousand  deers,  five  or  six  hundred  bears,  hundreds  of  panthers, 
wolves  and  wild  cats  ;  and  an  innumberable  number  of  turkeys  and 
small  game.  When  he  was  about  thirteen  years  of  age,  his  father's 
dog  treed  a  panther  of  enormous  size.  He  came  to  the  house  and 
took  down  a  rifle.  His  mother  asked  him  what  he  was  going  to  do 
with  the  gun.  He  replied  that  he  was  going  to  see  what  the  dog 
had  treed.  She  remarked  that  it  was  probably  a  panther,  and 
charged  him,  if  it  was,  not  to  shoot  it,  but  to  get  his  father  to  shoot 


APPENDIX, 


389 


it ;  adding,  if  he  wounded  it  and  did  not  kill  it,  it  would  tear  him  to 
pieces.  He  soon  discovered  that  it  was  a  huge  panther,  standing  at 
full  lengh  on  a  large  limb  of  the  tree,  about  twenty  feet  from  the 
ground.  He  knew  himself  to  be  a  sure  marksman,  and  would  not 
forego  the  temptation  at  firing  at  so  fine  a  mark.  Disobeying  his 
mother's  injunction,  he  took  a  deliberate  aim  at  his  side,  a  little  be- 
hind the  shoulder,  and  the  ball  passed  through  the  animals  heart, 
and  it  fell  dead.  His  mother  was  near  scourging  for  disobeying  her 
orders  ;  but  he  acquired  great  credit  from  his  father  and  the  neigh- 
borhood generally,  for  his  bravery  and  firmess.  It  was  the  largest 
animal  of  the  kind  ever  known  to  be  killed  in  that  part  of  the  coun- 
try. It  measured  upwards  of  fourteen  feet  from  the  end  of  his  nose 
to  the  end  of  his  tail.* 

The  author  had  frequently  heard  that  the  western  people,  in 
early  times,  practiced  what  they  called  "fire  hunting,"  but  never 
knew  exactly  what  it  meant,  until  Mr.  Lybrook  explained  it  to  him. 
The  hunters  made  stone  hearths  in  one  end  of  their  canoes,  on  which 
they  would  raise  large  pine  lights  in  the  night,  and  set  their  canoes 
to  floating  down  the  stream.  The  deers  usually  collected  in  consid- 
erable numbers  in  the  rivers,  in  order  to  feed  on  the  moss  that  grew 
in  them.  As  the  light  approached  near  the  deer,  it  would  raise  its 
head,  and  stare  it ;  and  its  eyes  would  shine  as  bright  as  diamonds. 
When  the  shining  of  the  eyes  were  seen,  the  hunter  would  consider 
himsel  f  near  enough  to  shoot.  Thousands  and  thousands  of  deer  w^ere 
killed  in  this  way. 

In  1778,  grain  grew  scarce  at  the  Fort.  Old  Mr.  Lybrook  and 
the  Snydows  had  several  parcels  of  wheat  standing  in  the  stack,  at 
their  respective  farms.  Ten  men  were  sent  to  thrash  out  the  wheat. 
Mr.  Lybrook,  about  fifteen  years  of  age,  was  directed  to  take 
charge  of  the  pack  horses,  to  convey  the  wheat  to  the  Fort.  (Pres- 
ton's Fort,  about  fifteen  miles  distant).  Two  men  were  sent  with 
him.  When  they  reached  the  wheat  yard,  the  threshers  had  left 
and  gone  to  his  father's  house  or  Fort,  and  they,  Mr.  Lybrook  and 
the  other  two,  went  there  also.  Mr.  Lybrook  discovered  a  party  of 
Indians  on  a  high  hill,  who  also  discovered  Mr.  Lybrook  and  his 
companions,  and  attempted  to  intercept  them.  They  had  to 
use  great  ingenuity  and  caution  to  elude  the  enemy,  but  got 
safe  to  the  Fort  and  gave  information  of  the  Indians  skulking  in 
the  woods. 

A  brave  and  active  man  by  the  named  Scott,  went  out  and 
killed  one  of  the  party  of  Indians,  and  the  others  immediately  took 
to  flight. 

In  the  year  1775,  peaceable  times  were  had  with  the  Indians. 
But  in  1776,  they  recommenced  their  warfare,  and  continued  with 

*  The  author  would  not  have  ventured  to  state  this  fact,  lest  it  might  be 
suspected  that  he  is  disposed  to  deal  in  the  relation  of  marvelous  stories. 
But  he  related  this  story  to  Col.  Welton,  on  the  South  Branch,  in  Hardy 
county,  who  stated  that  he  had  himself  killed  one  of  enormous  size. 


390 


APPENDIX. 


unabated  fury  until  1780.  The  white  people  had  extended  their 
settlements  considerabl}^  to  the  west  of  New  River ;  this  afforded 
some  protection  to  the  settlers  in  this  section  ;  but  the  enenty  would 
once  in  a  while  skulk  into  the  neighborhood,  commit  murders  and 
robberies,  and  steal  horses,  and  then  push  off.  This  state  of  things 
continued  for  several  years  after  the  year  1780. 

Mr.  L3'brook,  after  his  well  managed  trip  for  the  conveyance  of 
the  wheat  to  the  Fort,  was  almost  every  3'ear  appointed  *  an  Indian 
sp}^  and  after  he  grew  up  to  manhood,  he  served  regularly  for  three 
3^ears  in  that  capacity.  His  brother  Philip  and  a  Mr.  Phillips 
generally  serv^ed  with  him.  It  was  an  arduous  and  dangerous  ser- 
vice, but  they  were  fortunate  enough  never  to  get  hurt  by  the 
enemy. 

The  last  time  the  hostile  Indians  were  known  to  be  in  Green- 
brier county,  was  in  the  summer  of  1793.  The  three  Indians  came 
into  the  settlement,  stole  several  horses,  and  attempted  to  make  their 
escape,  f. 

Matthew  Farly,  an  intripid  hunter,  raised  ten  men  and  pursued 
them.  He  came  in  sight  of  their  encampment  late  in  the  even- 
ing, halted  and  remained  until  earl}^  next  morning.  Farly  divided 
his  men  into  two  parties,  and  directed  that  each  should  fire  separate- 
ly at  an  Indian.  Two  of  them  had  risen,  and  setting  quietly  ;  the 
third  was  Ij'ing  down.  When  the  whites  approached  near  enough 
to  fire,  each  party  singled  their  object,  fired,  and  the  two  Indians 
were  killed  ;  the  third  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  ran  up  the  side  of  the 
hill.  Farly  having  reserved  his  fire,  seeing  the  fellow  endeavoring 
to  make  his  escape,  fired  at  him,  and  broke  his  thigh.  He  fell, 
rolled  down  the  hill,  and  cried  out  "Enough,  I  give  up."  Farly 
was  desirous  of  saving  his  life,  but  Charles  Clay  and  others,  whose 
friends  had  been  massacred  by  the  Indians,  rushed  upon  him  and 
dispatched  him. 

The  Executive  of  Virginia  rewarded  this  little  company  of  men 
by  paying  for  their  tour  of  service. 

The  author  w^as  informed  that  in  the  year  1795,  there  was  an 
outrage  committed  on  the  property  of  a  farmer  in  Greenbrier  coun- 
ty, charged  to  the  Indians.  The  dwelling  house,  in  the  absence  of 
the  family,  and  a  new  wagon  which  was  drawn  up  close  to  the  house, 
were  both  set  on  fire  and  consumed  together.  But  it  is  more  proba- 
ble that  it  was  incendairy  work,  who  had  first  robbed  the  house 
and  then  fired  it,  with  a  view  to  conceal  their  villan}^  Every  In- 
dian warrior  was  called  home  in  the  spring  of  1794,  when  it  was 
known  that  Gen.  Wayne  was  preparing  to  invade  their  country  with 
a  powerful  army.  The  Indians  concentrated  all  their  forces  for 
their  own  defense,  and  after  the  decisive  defeat  by  Wayne,  immedi- 


*  Near  the  mouth  of  Indian  Creek,  a  branch  of  Greenbrier, 
f  The  Indians  were  overtaken  on  the  marshes  of  Cole  River. 


APPENDIX. 


391 


ately  entered  into  a  treaty,  which  put  a  final  end  to  further  hostili- 
ties by  the  savages  in  Western  Virginia. 

Col.  Stuart,  the  Clerk  of  Greenbrier  court,  expressed  this  opin- 
ion to  the  writer. 

During  the  period  of  Indian  hostilies,  four  Indians  came  into 
the  settlement  on  the  head  of  the  Wappatomaca.  They  were  said  to 
belong  to  a  tribe  then  at  peace  with  the  whites.  One  of  them  ob- 
jected to  traveling  down  the  South  Branch  Fork,  saying  they  would 
be  in  danger.  The  other  three  laughed  at  him.  He  separated  from 
them,  and  took  down  the  North  Fork.  The  three  were  pursued  by 
white  men  and  killed  on  Mill  Creek  ;  the  fourth  was  seen  by  a  negro 
man  belonging  to  Cunningham,  and  pursued  seven  or  eight  miles. 
As  he  was  crossing  the  river,  the  negro  fired  at  him.  He  fell  into 
the  water,  but  immediately  sprang  up  and  made  his  escape.  His 
blanket  was  folded  up,  and  placed  on  his  back  ;  the  ball  struck  the 
blanket,  and  penetrated  through  several  folds,  but  remained  in  it. 
When  the  Indian  reached  his  tribe,  he  unfolded  his  blanket,  and  the 
bullet  was  found  in  it. 

The  men  who  committed  the  murder  were  apprehended  and  or- 
dered to  jail,  but  their  neighbors  raised  a  party  of  men,  and  rescued 
the  prisoners,  and  set  them  at  liberty.  They  were  never  brought  to 
trial  for  the  offense.  The  father  of  my  informant  was  one  of  the 
party  who  effected  the  rescue. 

APP'S  VALI.EY. 

This  Valley  is  situated  in  the  County  of  Tazewell,  and  took  its 
name  from  Absolom  Looney,  a  hunter,  who  is  supposed  to  have 
been  the[first  white  man  that  explored  it.  It  is  about  ten  miles  long, 
and  generally  about  fifty  rods  wide.  There  is  no  stream  of  water  run- 
ning along  it,  nor  across  it.  The  branches  that  come  down  the 
mountain  hollows,  and  the  springs,  all  sink  at  the  edge  of  the  flat 
land  and  rise  in  a  large  spring  at  the  lower  end  of  the  valley.  When 
first  visited  by  the  white  man,  it  was  overgrown  by  the  crab-apple, 
plum,  and  thorn,  and  covered  with  the  most  luxuriant  herbage;  af- 
fording the  finest  range  for  stock,  and  abundant  with  game. 

In  the  autumn  of  1775,  Capt.  James  Moore  removed  wnth  his 
family  from  Rockbridge  count}^  to  the  Valley,  having  cleared  some 
land  the  preceding  spring,  and  raised  a  crop  of  corn.  A  short  time 
afterwards,  his  brother-in-law,  Robert  Poage,  settled  near  to  him  in 
the  same  Valley.  The  place  was  exceedingly  secluded,  and  these 
two  families  were  ten  or  twelve  miles  from  any  other  settlement  of 
whites.  As  this  has  been  a  favorite  hunting  ground  of  the  Indians, 
they  often  visited  it.  Indeed,  there  was  scarcely  a  year  in  which 
these  families  were  not  compelled  to  leave  the  Valley  and  take  shel- 
ter in  a  Fort  in  the  Bluestone  settlement. 

In  the  spring  of  1782,  the  Indians  attacked  the  house  of  Robert 
Poage  at  night.    They  burst  the  door  open,  but  finding  that  there 


392 


APPENDIX. 


were  several  men  in  the  house,  (there  happened  to  be  three  besides 
Mr.  Poage) ,  they  did  not  attempt  to  enter  the  house,  but  after  watch- 
ing it  for  some  time,  w^ent  off  ;  and  the  next  morning  killed  a  young 
man  by  the  name  of  Richards,  who  had  been  living  for  a  time  at  Capt. 
Moore's.  He  had  gone  out  early  in  the  morning  to  put  some  deer- 
skins to  soak  in  a  pond  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  house  ; 
and  whilst  engaged  at  the  pond,  he  was  shot  and  immediately  scalp- 
ed. At  this  time  the  families  Forted  again  in  the  Bluestone  settle- 
ment ;  and  soon  afterwards  Mr.  Poage  removed  to  Georgia. 

In  September,  1784,  the  Indians  again  excited  great  alarm. 
The  first  that  v^^as  known  of  their  being  in  that  part  of  the  country, 
was  the  capture  of  James,  one  of  Moore's  sons.  After  breakfast, 
his  father  sent  him  to  bring  a  horse  from  a  waste  plantation  about 
two  miles  from  where  he  lived.  Accustomed  to  go  about  aione,  and 
being  out  often  after  night,  he  was  a  fearless  lad.  But  on  this  occa- 
sion, he  had  scarcely  got  out  of  sight  of  his  father's  house,  before  a 
most  distressing  panic  came  over  him.  At  the  time  he  determined 
to  return,  but  feared  his  father's  displeasure.  When  he  got  near 
the  field  where  the  horses  were,  three  Indians  sprang  out  from  be- 
hind a  log  near  his  path  and  captured  him  at  once.  They  then  en- 
deavored to  catch  some  of  the  horses,  but  failing  in  this,  they  started 
with  their  captive  to  the  Shawnee  towns,  situated  on  the  head  w^aters 
of  Mad  River,  in  Ohio.  This  journey  occupied  twenty  days.  Soon 
after  reaching  the  towns,  James  was  sold  by  the  Indians  who  had 
captured  him  to  his  sister,  for  an  old  horse.  By  her  he  was  sent  with 
a  party  of  the  tribes  on  a  winter  hiftit,  in  which  he  suffered  great 
hardships  from  hunger  and  exposure.  In  the  following  spring,  at  a 
great  dance  held  at  a  town  near  to  the  one  in  which  he  lives,  he  was 
purchased  by  a  French  trader  for  fifty  dollars,  paid  in  goods.  The 
Frenchman  was  induced  to  purchase  him,  from  seeing  in  the  cap- 
tive lad  striking  likeness  to  one  of  his  own  sons.  By  Mr.  Ariome  and 
his  wife  James  was  treated  as  a  son.  At  the  time  when  he  was  sold 
by  the  Indians,  James  got  an  opportunity  to  communicate  with  his 
father,  through  a  trader  from  Kentucky,  intelligence  of  his  release 
from  the  Indians,  and  that  he  had  gone  to  the  neighborhood  of  De- 
triot.  The  intelligence  gave  rise  to  hopes  of  seeing  him  again,  hopes 
which  but  two  of  the  family  realized.  And  when  they  met  him,  it 
was  at  a  place  and  in  circumstances  very  different  from  what  they 
had  anticipated. 

In  1785,  the  Valley  was  again  visited  by  the  Indians.  On  the 
morning  of  the  14th  of  July,  a  party  of  between  thirty  and  forty, 
led  to  the  place  by  one  of  those  who  had  captured  James,  attacked 
and  destroyed  Mr.  Moore's  family.  At  that  time  when  it  was 
broken  up  Capt.  Moore's  family  consisted  of  his  wife,  (who  before 
marriage  was  a  Miss  Poage,  of  Rockbridge  county),  seven  children, 
an  old  English  servant  by  the  name  of  Simpson,  Martha  Evans, who 
was  assisting  Mrs.  Moore,  and  two  men  hired  laborers.  On  that 
morning  these  men  had  gone  out  to  reap  wheat ;  and  Mr.  Moore  was 


APPENDIX. 


393 


engaged  about  breakfast  time  in  salting  some  horses  that  come  up 
from  the  range,  and  was  some  distance  from  the  house.  The  In- 
dians who  had  been  watching  in  a  grain  field  about  two  hundred  yards 
from  the  house,  raised  a  war  whoop,  and  rushed  on.  Capt.  Moore 
ran  towards  the  house,  but  seeing  that  the  door  was  closed,  and  that 
the  Indians  w^ould  reach  it  as  soon  as  he  could,  he  ran  across  the 
small  lot  in  which  the  house  stood,  but  when  he  got  on  the  fence  he 
stopped  and  was  shot  with  seven  balls.  He  then  ran  about  fifty 
yards  and  fell.  The  Indians  told  one  of  the  captives  afterwards, 
that  he  might  have  escaped  if  he  had  not  halted  on  the  fence.  Mrs. 
Moore  and  Martha  Evans  barred  the  door  on  the  first  alarm.  The 
old  Englishman,  Simpson,  was  also  in  the  house,  and  there  were 
five  or  six  rifles.  Martha  Evans  took  three  of  them  upstairs  to 
Simpson  and  called  to  him  shoot.  Pie  was  in  a  bed  ;  and  on  lifting 
the  clothes,  she  saw  that  he  had  been  shot  in  the  side  of  the  head, 
and  Vi^as  dying.  There  Vv^ere  two  large  fierce  dogs  that  fought  the 
Indians  at  the  door  until  they  w^ere  shot  dowm.  The  door  was  soon 
cut  down  with  tomahawks.  Three  children  were  killed  before  the 
house  was  forced,  tv/o  at  the  place  where  Mr.  Moore  was  salting  the 
horses,  and  one  in  the  yard  near  the  house.  The  prisoners  were 
Mrs.  Moore,  John,  Polly,  Jane  and  an  infant,  and  Martha  Evans. 
Whilst  the  Indians  were  cutting  down  the  door,  Martha  and  Polly 
lifted  a  loose  plank  in  the  floor  and  got  under  it,  taking  the  infant 
with  them.  It,  however,  began  to  cry,  and  Polly  unwilling  to  set 
it  out  alone,  went  out  with  it.  Martha  remained  concealed  until 
after  the  house  had  been  plundered  and  set  on  fire,  and  whilst  the 
attention  of  the  Indians  was  taken  up  in  dividing  the  spoil,  she 
slipped  out  at  a  back  way  and  secreted  herself  under  a  log  which 
lay  across  a  branch  not  far  from  the  house.  A  short  time  before 
they  left  the  place,  a  straggling  Indian  seated  himself  on  the  log  and 
began  to  work  with  the  lock  of  his  gun.  She  supposing  that  he  saw 
her,  and  was  going  to  shoot  her,  came  out  and  gave  herself  up. 

After  plundering  the  house  of  everything  the)^  choose  to  take, 
and  setting  the  buildings  on  fire,  the  Indians  started  for  their  towns, 
which  stood  near  the  place  on  which  the  town  of  Chillicothe  now 
stands.  John  was  sick  and  unable  to  travel,  and  was  killed  with  the 
tomahawk  on  the  first  day  ;  and  the  infant  becoming  fretful,  was 
killed  on  the  second  or  third  day. 

The  men  who  were  in  the  harvest  field  at  the  time  when  the  In- 
dians attacked  the  house,  immediately  took  to  flight  and  went  with 
speed  to  the  Bluestone  settlement ;  and  in  the  evening  a  party  of 
seven  or  eight  men  came  to  the  place  ;  but  seeing  the  indications  of 
a  large  party  of  Indians,  after  burying  the  three  children  and  mak- 
ing a  little  search  for  the  body  of  Capt.  Moore,  but  without  success, 
they  returned,  an  express  was  sent  to  Col.  Cloyde,  of  Montgomery 
county,  a  distance  of  sixty  or  seventj^  miles.  He  reached  the  place 
with  a  company  of  thirty-five  or  forty  men,  on  the  fourth  day  after 
the  disaster.    They  made  no  attempt  to  follow  the  Indians.  After 

50 


394 


APPENDIX, 


searching  for  some  time  they  found  the  body  of  Capt.  Moore,  and 
wrapping  it  in  a  saddle  blanket,  they  buried  it  at  the  spot  where  he 
fell.  His  death  was  much  regretted.  He  wasa  christian,  a  patriot, 
and  a  brave  man.  In  the  memorable  battle  of  Guliford,  he 
commanded  one  of  the  companies  of  the  Virginia  rifiemen  with 
great  credit. 

A  short  time  after  the  Indians  reached  their  towns  with  the 
captives,  a  party  of  Cherokees  halted  there  on  their  return  from  an 
attack  on  some  of  the  settlements  in  Pennsylvania,  in  which  they 
had  been  unsuccessful,  and  had  lost  some  of  their  party.  They 
laid  a  plan  to  avenge  their  loss,  by  murdering  these  captives.  To 
accomplish  this,  thej^  commenced  a  drunken  frolic,  taking  care  to 
get  the  Shawnees  dead  drunk,  but  to  keep  in  some  measure  sober 
themselves.  They  then  accomplished  their  purpose,  when  those  to 
whom  the  captives  belonged  were  unable  to  protect  them.  Mrs. 
Moore  and  Jane  were  massacred.  Polly  Moore  and  Martha  Evans 
escaped  through  the  timely  care  of  the  squaws  belong  to  the  famil- 
ies into  which  they  had  been  adopted.  When  the  drinking  com- 
menced they  suspected  the  design  ;  and  secretly  got  these  two  ofF, 
and  carefully  secreted  them  in  a  thicket,  two  or  three  milesfrom  the 
towns,  until  the  Cherokees  were  gone.  When  they  were  brought 
back,  Polly  was  shown,  in  a  pile  of  ashes,  the  half  burnt  bones  of 
her  mother  and  sister.  Whether  they  had  been  put  to  the  torture, 
or  whether  they  had  been  tomahawked,  and  then  burnt,  she  never 
ascertained  certainly.  The  former  is  more  probable.  With  an  In- 
dian hoe  she  dug  a  hole,  and  gathered  the  bones  out  of  the  ashes  as 
well  as  she  could  ;  and  having  covered  them,  rolled  a  stone  over 
them.  She  was  at  the  time  in  the  tenth  year  of  her  age,  an  orphan, 
and  an  orphan  among  savages.  Her  comforts  were  her  fellow  cap- 
tive and  a  copy  of  the  New  Testament,  which  she  had.  Her  par- 
ents were  pious.  They  had  taught  her  to  love  and  value  the  Bible. 
When  the  Indians  were  setting  fire  to  the  furniture  which  they  had 
taken  from  her  father's  house,  and  which  they  had  gathered  into  a 
pile  in  the  yard,  she  saw  a  copy  of  the  New  Testament  in  it,  and 
stepped  up  to  the  pile  and  took  it,  and  put  it  under  arm.  This 
she  carefully  preserved,  and  the  old  chief  into  whose  family 
she  had  been  adopted,  often  called  her  to  him  to  read,  al- 
though he  could  not  understand  a  word  of  what  he  heard.  He  was 
kind  to  her. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  following  autumn,  a  detachment  of 
American  troops  attacked  and  destroyed  the  Indian  towns;  and  burn- 
ing up  their  whole  stock  of  winter  provisions,  reduced  them  to  a 
state  of  extreme  want.  As  soon  as  they  could,  the  Indians  set  off 
for  Detroit.  In  their  journey  they  encountered  great  hardships. 
The  country  was  an  unbroken  wilderness,  and  snow  often  knee 
deep,  the  weather  cold,  and  the  game  very  scarce.  Their  principal 
food  was  the  harkberry.  They  cut  the  trees  down,  gathered  the 
berries,  and  after  breaking  them  in  their  mortars,  made  broth  of 


APPENDIX.  395 

them.  In  the  hardships  of  this  journey,  the  captives  had  their  full 
share.  Sometime,  about  the  middle  of  the  winter,  they  reached  De- 
troit ;  and  early  in  March,  Martha  was  sold,  and  about  the  same 
time  Polly  was  sold,  in  a  drinking  spell,  for  a  keg  of  rum,  to  a  man 
by  the  name  of  Stogwell,an  American  by  birth,  but  an  unprincipaled 
man,  a  tory,  and  unfeeling  wretch.  While  living  with  him,  her  suf- 
fering were  greater  than  while  with  the  Indians. 

In  one  of  Mr.  Ariome's  trading  excursions,  James,  who  was 
with  him,  met  with  a  Shawnee  Indian  whom  he  had  known  while 
a  captive,  who  informed  him  of  the  ruin  of  his  father's  family  ;  and 
late  in  the  winter  after  Polly  had  been  purchased  by  Stogwell,  he 
learned  where  she  was.  The  following  spring  Stogwell  removed  to 
the  neighborhood  in  which  Mr.  Ariome  lived  :  and  James  and  his 
sister  met.  The  writer  of  this  narrative,  when  he  was  a  lad,  has 
often  heard  them  talk  over  the  scenes  of  that  meetina:.  What  their 
feelings  were,  the  reader  must  conjecture.  James  lodged  a  com- 
plaint against  Stogwell  for  the  cruel  treatment  of  his  sister,  with 
Col.  McKee,  the  Indian  agent  at  Detriot ;  and  endeavored  to  obtain 
her  release.  In  this  he  was  unsuccessful,  but  it  was  decided  that 
as  soon  as  an  opportunity  should  offer  for  her  return  to  Virginia, 
she  should  be  given  up  without  any  ransom  ;  but  Stogwell,  from 
motives  of  policy,  became  less  severe  in  his  treatment.  Martha 
Evans  was  also  living  in  the  same  neighborhood,  with  a  kind,  inde- 
pendent farmer.  These  three  were  often  together  ;  and  the  subject 
of  returning  to  their  homes  was  often  talked  over.  But  seri- 
ous difficulties  were  in  the  way.  In  the  meantime,  the  God 
whose  provience  had  protected  them  thus  far,  was  preparing  the  way 
for  them. 

The  father  of  Martha  Evans  lived  in  the  Walker's  Creek,  set- 
tlement, in  the  Count}'^  of  Giles.  After  the  peace  which  followed 
Wayne's  expedition,  Thomas  Evans,  his  son,  determined  to  find  and 
release  his  sister,  or  perish  in  the  attempt.  He  was  an  active,  ath- 
letic young  man,  a  first-rate  woodsman,  cool,  fearless  and  generous. 
He  prepared  for  his  expedition  by  furnishing  himself  with  a  good 
rifle,  a  full  supply  of  ammunition,  a  suit  of  buckskin,  and  a  suffici- 
ent sum  of  money  in  specie ;  and  set  out  to  seek  his  sister  amongst 
the  savages  of  the  western  wilderness.  The  enterprise  was  full  of 
hazards,  but  nothing  daunted  him.  After  various  perils  and  unsuc- 
cessful attempts  to  get  any  tidings  of  her,  he  at  length  heard  she 
was  near  Detroit,  and  made  his  way  thither.  In  the  early  part  of 
October,  1797,  he  set  out  on  his  return  to  Virginia  with  his  sister 
and  James  and  Polly  Moore.  The  two  Moore's  got  a  passage  in  a 
trading  boat  down  the  lakes,  about  two  hundred  miles,  to  the  Mora- 
vian towns.  There  Mr.  Evans  and  his  sister  met  them  with  three 
horses.  Fortunately  for  them,  a  party  of  these  friendly  Indians 
were  jnst  starting  out  on  a  winter  hunt.  With  them  they  traversed 
the  hunting  ground  of  several  tribes  less  friendly,  and  were  protect- 
ed in  some  situations  which  seemed  full  of  danger.    They  reached 


396 


APPENDIX. 


the  neighborhood  of  Pittsburg,  in  the  beginning  of  winter,  and  re- 
mained with  an  ancle  of  Thomas  Evans  until  spring.  In  the  early 
part  of  spring  they  reached  Rockbridge  county,  where  the  Moore's 
met  with  their  younger  brother,  Joseph,  who  at  the  time  of  the 
breaking  up  of  his  father's  family  was  in  Rockbridge,  at  his  grand- 
father Poage's. 

After  some  years,  the  Evans  family  moved  to  the  west.  James 
Moore  resides  on  the  tract  of  land  owned  by  his  father.  Joseph  re- 
sides in  the  same  neighborhood  Each  of  them  has  raised  a  large 
family,  and  each  has  been  for  many  years  a  professing  Christian. 
Polly  became  a  member  of  the  church  at  an  early  period,  and  in  1798 
w^as  married  to  the  Rev.  Samuel  Brown,  for  many  years  pastor  of 
New  Providence  church.  Few  have  lived  more  generally  beloved  by 
a  large  circle  of  acquaintances.  She  closed  her  eventful  life  in  the 
month  of  April,  1824,  in  the  joyful  triumphs  of  Christian  faith.  Her 
remains  rest  beside  those  of  her  husband  in  the  graveyard  of  New 
Providence  church.  She  became  the  mother  of  eleven  childen  ;  of 
these,  one  died  in  infancy  and  one  in  early  youth.  The  nine  who  sur- 
vive are  all  professors  of  religion.  Of  her  seven  sons,  five  are  min- 
isters of  the  gospel  in  the  Presb}  terian  church  ;  one  is  a  farmer,  and 
the  youngest  at  this  time,  1837,  is  at  college.  [Prepared  for  Ker- 
cheval's  History  of  the  Valley,  by  J.  M.  Brown]. 

The  author  heard  from  Poage  of  Rockbridge  county,  a  connec- 
tion of  the  young  prisoner,  some  additional  circumstances  in  rela- 
tion to  the  intended  cruel  treatment  of  the  prisoner,  by  the  savages. 
Soon  after  reaching  their  village,  they  held  a  council,  and  determin- 
ed that  James  should  run  the  gauntlet.  They,  as  was  their  usual 
practice,  placed  themselves  in  two  lines,  with  their  scourges,  and  or- 
dered the  prisoner  to  run  between  them.  James  started  and  when 
the  first  struck  him,  he  wheeled  around  and  made  furious  battle  on 
the  fellow.  All  the  Indians  immediately  gathered  around  him,  pat- 
ting and  caressing  him,  and  pronounced  him  a  good  warrior. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Brown,  the  author  of  the  foregoing  narrative, 
stated  to  the  author  that  he  has  no  recollection  of  hearing  this  anec- 
dote ;  but  as  Mr.  Poage  is  a  much  older  man  than  Mr.  Brown,  and 
a  manjof  highly  respectable  character,  and  who  certainly  would  have  no 
motive  to  induce  him  to  misrepresent  any  of  the  facts  connected  with 
this  interesting  story,  the  author  has  thought  proper  to  give  it  to 
the  reader,  without  holding  himself  responsible  for  its  truth. 

WKYKR'S  cave,  in  AUGUSTA  COUNTY. 

The  reader  will  find  a  particular  description  of  this  grand  work 
of  nature  in  the  appendix,  written  by  a  gentleman  of  scientific  ac- 
quirements, and  is  a  most  graphic  account  of  it.  The  author  of  it 
resides  in  Staunton.  The  writer  saw  and  explored  this  cave  in  the 
year  1836. 


APPENDIX.  397' 

NATURAI,  BRIDGE,  IN  ROCKBRIDGE  COUNTY. 

Mr.  Jefferson  has  given  a  most  graphical  and  beautiful  descrip- 
tion of  this  stupendous  work  of  nature.  The  author  deems  it 
hardly  necessary  to  attempt  any  additional  description,  except  in  one 
or  two  instance.  The  author  saw  this  place  for  the  first  time  in  the 
month  of  June,  1819.  He  again  called  to  see  it  in  the  month  of 
August,  1836.  When  he  first  saw  it,  he  was  alone,  and  had  crossed 
it  before  he  knew  he  was  near  it.  He  inquired  at  a  house  very  near 
to  it,  and  was  informed  by  one  of  the  inmates  that  he  had  just 
crossed  it,  who  then  directed  me  the  way  to  get  to  it.  Descending 
into  a  deep  glen,  I  had  to  dismount  my  horse  and  walk  up  the  mar- 
gin of  a  fine  stream  of  beautiful  clear  water,  until  I  approached  with- 
in seventy  or  eighty  yards  of  the  arch,  the  view  being  obstructed  by 
a  point  of  rocks,  until  within  that  distance.  Passing  the  rocks,  the 
most  grand,  sublime,  and  I  may  add,  awful  sight  that  I  had  ever 
looked  upon,  burst  suddenly  in  full  view.  It  was  a  very  clear  day, 
the  sun  rather  past  meridian,  and  not  a  speck  of  cloud  or  anything 
to  obstruct  the  sight.  The  author  was  so  struck  with  the  grandeur 
and  majesty  of  the  scene,  as  to  become  for  several  minutes,  terrified 
and  nailed  to  the  spot,  and  incapable  to  move  forward.  After  re- 
covering in  some  degree  from  this,  I  may  truly  say,  agonizing  men- 
tal state  of  excitement,  the  author  approached  the  arch  with  trem- 
bling and  trepidation. 

After  some  moments,  he  became  more  composed,  and  v/rote  the 
following  lines : 

O  !  though  eternal  architect  Divine, 
All  beautiful  thy  works  do  shine  ! 

Permit  me  thus  to  sing  ; 
Who  can  this  towering  arch  explore, 
And  not  thy  sovereign  power  adore, 

Eternal  King  ? 

Awed,  at  first  sight,  my  blood  was  chill'd, 
My  trembling  limbs  and  nerves  all  thrill' d 

Beneath  this  splendid  pile. 
My  mind,  howe'er,  was  soon  on  flame 
To  adore  the  great  builders  name, 

Viewing  the  heavenly  smile. 

Did'st  thou,  O  God  !  this  arch  uprear, 
To  make  us  trembling  mortals  stare, 

And  humbly  own  thy  name  ? 
Or  did'st  thou  build  it  for  thy  pleasure, 
To  prove  thy  power  without  measure, 

And  spread  eternal  fame  ? 

Whate'er  the  motive  or  the  plan, 
It  far  exceeds  the  art  of  man  ; 

The  grandeur  of  the  scheme 
Shows  that  the  builder  lives  on  high, 
Beyond  that  Blue,  ethereal  sky, 

And  wields  a  hand  supreme. 


398 


APPENDIX. 


At  the  author's  second  visit  to  this  place,  he  discovered  on 
viewing  the  arch  attentively,  the  image  of  a  very  large  eagle,  as  if 
it  was  in  full  flight,  with  the  image  of  a  lion  in  chase  of  it.  This 
sight  is  near  the  eastern  edge  of  the  arch.  The  author,  however, 
had  heard  of  these  images  before  he  saw  them. 

There  is  a  story  told  in  the  neighborhood,  in  connection  with 
this  most  w^onderful  work  of  nature,  of  a  very  extraordinary  per- 
formance of  one  of  the  young  students  of  Lexington  college.  Some 
years  ago,  several  of  the  students  rode  out  to  view"  the  bridge.  One 
of  them  seeing  the  name  of  Washington  inscribed  in  the  face  of  the 
rock,  observed  to  one  of  his  companions  that  he  w^ould  place  his 
name  above  Washington's.  He  ascended  the  rock,  and  effected  his 
object ;  when  looking  at  the  yawning  gulf  beneath,  he  was  afraid  to 
attempt  the  descent,  and  requested  his  friends  not  to  speak  to  him  ; 
then  commenced  climbing  up  the  wall.  Some  of  the  young  men  ran 
round  on  the  bridge,  and  placed  themselves  in  a  position  to  assist 
him,  if  he  should  get  wdthin  their  reach.  The  young  man  actually 
succeeded  in  getting  so  near  them,  that  they  seized  him  and  drew 
him  up  ;  *  but  the  moment  he  was  on  the  bridge,  from  the  great 
bodily  exertion,  and  extreme  mental  excitement,  he  fainted,  and  la}" 
some  moments  before  he  recovered. 

This  individual  in  the  year  1836,  was  residing  in  the  village  of 
W^ythe  courthouse.  The  author  intended  to  visit  him  and  converse 
with  him  on  the  subject,  but  w^as  told  by  a  friend  that  he  conversed 
on  the  subject  with  great  reluctance.  Of  course,  the  author  declined 
his  intended  visit. 

SAI^T  POND,  IN  GILES  COUNTY. 

This  is  a  most  beautiful  w^ork  of  nature.  There  are  three  moun- 
tains t  of  considerable  magnitude,  which  meet  at  this  place,  the 
several  mountains  at  their  terminations  forms  a  considerable  chasm  ; 
this  affords  a  receptacle  for  the  water.  It  presents  to  the  beholder 
the  appearance  of  a  niinature  lake  of  pure  transparent  water,  and  is 
about  one  mile  in  length,  and  generally  from  one-quarter  to  a  half 
mile  in  wndth.  From  its  head  to  its  termination,  it  lies  nearly  a 
northeast  course.  It  is  obstructed  at  its  termination  with  vast  piles 
of  huge  rock,  over  w^hich  it  is  discharged.  When  this  place  was 
first  known,  the  water  found  passage  through  the  fissures  of  the 
rocks.  In  the  year  1804,  the  remarkable  w^et  spring  and  summer, 
which  is  doubtless  recollected  by  every  elderly  person,  it  is  supposed 
the  vast  quantity  of  leaves  and  other  rubbish  that  washed  into  it, 
closed  up  the  fissures  of  the  rocks ;  immediately  after  which 
it  commenced  rising.    An  elder  gentleman  residing,  in  1836,  on  New" 


*  From  the  base  to  the  top  of  the  arch,  is  two  hundred  feet  perpendicu- 
lar height. 

f  Peter's  Mountain,  the  Salt  Pond  Mountain,  and  Baldnob  Mountain. 


APPENDIX. 


399 


River,  a  few  miles  from  it,  Col.  Snj^dow,  informed  the  author  that 
it  had  risen  fully  twenty-five  feet  since  the  year  1804.  It  is  said  to 
produce  but  few  fish,  there  having  been  a  fevv^  fine  trout  caught  in 
it ;  but  vast  numbers  of  the  water  lizard  exist  in  it.  Col.  Snydow 
injformed  the  writer  that  when  this  place  was  first  known  to  the 
white  people,  vast  numbers  of  buffalos,  elks  and  deers  resorted  to  it, 
and  drank  freel}^  of  its  waters  ;  from  which  circumstance  it  acquired 
the  name  of  "Salt  Pond."  The  author  tasted  the  water,  but  could 
not  discover  that  it  had  any  saltish  flavor. 

Col.  Snydow  also  informed  the  writer,  that  previous  to  the  ris- 
ing of  the  water,  a  very  large  spring  raised  at  the  head,  and  sup- 
plied the  lake  with  water ;  but  since  its  rise,  that  spring  has  disap- 
peared, and  it  is  now  fed  by  numerous  small  springs  around  its  head. 

The  author  recollects  seeing,  (in  a  description  of  this  place, 
published  in  a  northern  magazine,  some  years  ago),  the  opinion  ex- 
pressed that  this  wonderful  w^ork  of  nature  had  been  formed  within 
the  memory  of  man  ;  but  this  is  doubtless  a  mistake.  Messrs.  Snj-- 
dow  and  Lybrook  both  stated  to  the  writer  that  it  existed  when  the 
country  w^as  first  discovered.  Col.  Snydow  particularly,  stated 
that  he  could  recollect  it  upwards  of  sixty  3'ears,  and  that  it  had 
not  increased  in  length  within  that  period  but  had  risen  as  above 
described. 

Near  this  pool  of  water  stands  a  wild  cherry,  which  these  gen- 
tlemen described  to  be  ninety  feet  high  to  the  first  limb,  perfectly 
straight,  and  not  less  than  five  feet  in  diameter. 

THK  ROYAL  OAK. 

This  grand  and  majestic  tree  is  within  about  one  mile  of  Union, 
a  very  sprightly  village,  the  seat  of  justice  for  Monroe  county.  It 
is  of  vast  height,  and  is  said  to  be  eight  feet  in  diameter.  It  has 
acquired  the  name  from  its  immense  size  ;  towering  over  every  other 
tree  in  the  forest  in  that  section  of  country. 

SOPIS  KNOB. 

This  is  a  part  of  the  mountain  contiguous  to  the  village.  Union  ; 
and  is  the  residence  of  Alexander  Calder,  Esq. ,  who  has  erected  a 
splendid  brick  dwelling  house  near  the  summit  of  the  m^ountain.  It 
is  two  miles  from  the  village  to  Mr.  Calder' s  house,  a  continued  as- 
cent from  the  village  to  the  house,  and  considerably  steep  in  places. 
Of  course  Mr.  Calder' s  house  stands  on  most  elevated  ground.  Mr. 
Calder  is  a  resident  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  and  has  improved 
this  place  for  his  summer  residence.  The  author  rode  to  Mr.  Cal- 
der's  house  for  the  purpose  of  viewing  the  splendid  works  of  nature 
and  art  combined  at  this  extraordinary  place. 

Col.  Andrew  Beirne,  the  representative  in  Congress,  resides  near 
Union,  in  Montgomery  county,  is  said  to  be  a  man  of  great  wealth, 


400 


APPENDIX. 


and  has  erected  a  splendid  brick  dwelling  house  and  other  fine  im- 
provements, on  an  extensive  farm. 

Col.  Beirne  informed  the  author  that  a  tract  of  country  for  more 
than  one  hundred  miles  between  Greenbrier  county  and  the  Ken- 
awha,  was  inhabited  ;  that  it  is  very  mohntainous,  but  contains  a 
large  proportion  of  fertile  lands. 

This  gentleman  also  expressed  the  opinion  that  it  is  one  of  the 
healthiest  regions,  both  for  man  and  beast,  in  all  North  America. 

vai.uaei,e:  minerals. 

Our ,  mountains  abound  in  valuable  minerals.  We  have  three 
manganese  mines  within  about  twenty  miles  of  Winchester.  The 
price  of  the  article  is,  however,  so  much  reduced  of  late  years,  that 
there  is  but  little  of  it  taken  to  the  market.  The  author  is  informed 
that  a  rich  copper  mine  has  lately  been  discovered,  and  a  company 
formed  for  working  it.  It  is  said  it  yields  well.  Several  lead  mines 
are  said  to  have  been  discovered,  but  as  yet,  they  have  not  been  very 
productive.  There  have  been  several  coal  mines  opened,  of  the  an- 
thracite kind,  one  of  which  yields  well.  It  is  probable  that  on  fur- 
ther research,  sufficient  quantities  may  be  found  to  supply  this  sec- 
tion of  country. 

The  people  of  our  Valley  have  abundant  cause  to  be  humbly 
thankful  to  the  Great  Author  of  our  existence  for  the  blessings  he 
has  in  his  wisdom  and  benevolence  provided  for  their  happiness. 


THK  END  . 

] 


JISTDEX. 


Page. 

Attack  on  Rice's  Fort   227 

Attack  on  Doddridge's  Fort.     231 

Adam  Poe   240 

Appendix   312 

Bacon's  Rebellion   12 

Breaking  Out  of  the  Indian  War   65 

Crawford's  Campaign   219 

Coshocton  Campaign     233 

Captivity  of  Mrs.  Brown  , .  235 

Caravans   261 

Civilization   297 

Culture  of  Silk   364 

Churches   371 

Cow  with  Six  Legs     365 

Cave  in  Berkeley  County   375 

Cook's  Fort   385 

Dedication   3 

Dunmore's  War   [09 

Doddridge's  Notes   187 

Death  of  Cornstalk   200 

Dress   256 

Establishment  of  the  Towns   178 

f\  First  Settlement  of  Virginia  ,    7 

First  Settlement  of  the  Valley   45 

Faulkner's  Report   160 

Face  of  the  Country.    312 

Fine  Arts   364 

Fire  Hunting   388 

Grey  Sulphur  Springs   349 

House  Furniture  and  Diet   252 

Hunting                                                                                      ...  263 

House  Warming  ■   270 

Hybridous   365 

Harper's  Ferry   371 

House  Cave   377 

Harrison's  Cave   378 

Indian  Wars   34 


INDEX.  403 

Indian  Settlements   37 

Indian  Incursions                                                                      ....  69 

Indian  Summer   217 

Jacob's  Account  of  Duumore's  War   118 

Lewis  Wetzel   238 

Lewisburg   363 

Mode  of  Living  of  the  Primitive  Settlers   151 

Mcintosh's  Campaign   204 

Moravian  Campaign   207 

Mechanic  Arts   274 

Medicine   278 

Morals   291 

Medicinal  Springs   330 

Natural  Bridge   397 

Northern  Neck  of  Virginia   156 

Natural  Curiosities   317 

New  Creek  Gap   375 

Origin  of  the  Indians  in  America   5 

Origin  of  Methodists  in  the  Valley   62 

Prospect  Rock   374 

Religion  and  Customs,  &c   56 

Revolution   295 

Regurgitary  Spring   384 

Royal  Oak   399 

-  !   Settlement  of  the  Country.   247 

'    Sports   283 

Staunton   362 

Salt  Pond   398 

Sopsis  Knob   399 

Valuable  Minerals   400 

War  of  the  Revolution   140 

War  of  1763   193 

Wappatomaca  Campaign   202 

Working   272 

Witchcraft   287 

Weyer's  Cave   336 

Winchester   361 

Washington's  Masonic  Cave   373 


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